Steve Smith has been ruled out of the remaining of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s due to a concussion which he suffered after a Jofra Archer delivery hit him on the neck during the fourth day’s play on Saturday.
“I started to feel a little bit of a headache coming on last night as the adrenaline got out of my system but I was able to get a good night’s sleep in, but I woke up feeling a bit groggy and with a headache again,” Smith said.
“I had some tests done and then some further assessments deemed to be a mild concussion, so I’ve been ruled out of this Test match, unfortunately,” he added.
The Ashes series is the being played under the ICC’s new concussion substitute regulations, part of the inaugural World Test Championship.
These allow players who have suffered head or neck injuries to be replaced entirely by a substitute, who was previously restricted to fielding alone.
Marnus Labuschagne, who was on the field as 12th man when play resumed Sunday, became the first concussion substitute in Test history after Australia’s request was approved by match referee Ranjan Madugalle.
Smith went down to the ground immediately after being struck by the quick Archer bouncer on Day 4, and the medical team rushed to attend the 30-year-old. However, the Sydney-born cricketer returned to bat later on before getting dismissed by Woakes for 92.
