Jofra Archer Reveals Steve Smith ‘Head Blow’ Brought Flashbacks of Phillip Hughes’ Tragedy
Jofra Archer said flashbacks of late Phillip Hughes came into his mind when his bouncer hit Steve Smith on the head and left the Australian concussed. Archer was playing his debut Test match and had already dismissed opener Cameron Bancroft before his 92 mph bouncer hit Smith on the helmet sending the Australian batsman into the ground.
Jofra Archer said flashbacks of late Phillip Hughes came into his mind when his bouncer hit Steve Smith on the head and left the Australian concussed. Archer was playing his debut Test match and had already dismissed opener Cameron Bancroft before his 92 mph bouncer hit Smith on the helmet sending the Australian batsman into the ground. Late Philip Hughes was hit by a similar delivery on the back of his head during a Sheffield match and died days later after succumbing to his injuries. Luckily though, Smith was hit on the front of his helmet and although he retired hurt in the first innings, he came to bat in the second innings. Jofra Archer Wants Cricket Matches to Resume Behind Closed Doors, Says ‘It Will Be Difficult but Necessary’.
"My first reaction was that it hit the helmet but a few seconds after he went down, everyone was like 'Oh no'," Archer told Talksport radio recalling the moment Smith collapsed to the turf. The 25-year-old said he had started to fear the worst when Smith fell to the ground after being hit by the fearsome bouncer. The incident occurred during Australia’s first innings when Smith was batting on 80. He initially stood up and continued batting after treatment but left the field an over later for a concussion test and further treatment. Jofra Archer Picks KL Rahul As the Toughest Batsman to Bowl to in T20 Cricket (Watch Video).
"We had the stuff with Phil a few years ago and, generally, anything that hits you in that vicinity is going to be trouble," Archer added. "I'm just glad that he came out on the other side of it and batted in two games." Smith later came to bat in the same innings and added 12 more runs to his tally before being trapped by Chris Woakes. He, however, couldn’t come to the field for the rest of the Test match and even missed the third Test due to the injury.
Meanwhile, Smith and Archer plays for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and would have shared the dressing room in IPL 2020 under normal circumstances. But the franchise tournament was suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic and the statewide lockdown. Archer is currently nursing an injury and has not played since the Boxing Day Test against South Africa.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 13, 2020 02:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).