Published: Sep 13, 2015, 10:32 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 14, 2015, 10:32 AM (IST)
Manchester: Australia captain Steven Smith admits the blow to the head sustained by England counterpart Eoin Morgan from a bouncer in the fifth and final One-Day International (ODI) on Sunday left his players shaken. Morgan was left concussed after he was struck on the helmet by a short-pitched delivery – clocked at 90mph – from Mitchell Starc in the seventh over of the match and played no further part in the contest. With the death of Australia opener Philip Hughes to a bouncer in a first-class match in Sydney last November still relatively fresh in the mind concerned Australian players quickly surrounded the Dublin-born left-hander. SCORECARD: England vs Australia, 5th ODI at Old Trafford
Morgan received treatment from the England medical staff on the pitch the 29-year-old groggily made his way back to the dressing room. “I think there were a couple of guys who were shaken up. Starcy in particular,” Smith said, following his side’s eight-wicket win over England which sealed a 3-2 series victory.
“Obviously it was a tough summer back home losing a close mate. It’s always nasty when you get a glance like that. So there were a few guys shaken up and I guess hopefully Eoin’s ok. “I don’t think anyone ever means to do anything like that. It’s part of the game bowling bouncers and stuff like that I think you just have to get back on the ship as quickly as possible,” said Smith. READ: Australia thrash England by 8 wickets in 5th ODI at Old Trafford to clinch series 3-2
“You still have a job to do in the middle and take it out of your mind as quickly as possible, but you never like to see anyone hit like that for sure,” he added.
England coach Trevor Bayliss confirmed that Morgan felt dazed after the incident and that medical staff would monitor him closely over the next 24 hours. “Eoin’s alright. He’s got a bit of lump on his head and a bit of headache but he’s ok, and up and about now and having a chat so he’s fine,” Bayliss said. READ: Morgan retires hurt after getting hit on helmet by Starc bouncer during ENG vs AUS 5th ODI
“I think when anyone gets hit its anxious moment. I think the fact he walked off the field was a good sign. He was a bit dizzy for a while, and took an hour or so for him to come good. I’m sure the medical staff will keep a close eye on him,” he added.
This was not the first occasion that Morgan has been troubled with short-pitched bowling. The England one-day skipper was hit on the gloves at both Lord’s and the previous match at Old Trafford. And following the match at Lord’s, Morgan changed his helmet to include the new flaps which cover the neck area that have been introduced in the wake of the death of Hughes. READ: Eoin Morgan out of England vs Australia 2015, 5th at Old Trafford with concussion
Bayliss revealed that England’s coaching staff will analyse Morgan’s technique to see if they can help him cope better with short-pitched deliveries. “We’ll probably have to look to see if there is anything technically different he can do. We haven’t sat down and had a close look yet or a chat with him about but I’m sure it’s something we’ll look at going forward,” Bayliss added.
