Sri Lankan opener Dimuth Karunaratne was stretchered off in a neck brace after taking a nasty hit from a bouncer by Pat Cummins in the second cricket Test in Canberra on Saturday.
Playing in his 58th Test, Karunaratne was 46 not out when the rising ball (clocked at 142 kph) appeared to glance off his shoulder and onto his helmet, close to the neck area. He slumped to the ground dropping his bat as Australian players ran to assist.
A doctor and physio sprinted onto the ground and called for more medics.
“Karunaratne was wearing a helmet with the rear attachments designed to shield a batsman’s neck, and though it was the equipment that the ball seemed to strike, he immediately collapsed backwards, losing grip of his bat,” reported ESPNCricinfo.
After some 10 minutes, he was put onto a stretcher and taken off the field on a golf buggy.
“Karunaratne was shown speaking and moving his hands while the medi-cab was called to the field”, according to a report on cricket.com.au. “Local medical support then helped the 30-year-old on to the stretcher before being carted off to the applause of crowd. Australia team doctor Richard Shaw held the batsman’s neck as he left the playing arena.”
The latest update on this issue came from Cricket Australia which read: “Dimuth complained of pain in neck and tingling to his hands following being struck in the back of the neck, decision then made to transport him to hospital where he is currently being assessed. Updates will be provided when more is known.”
UPDATE: Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurusingha said after play, “He’s in the hospital at the moment and in good spirits. No danger at the moment. He was talking to us before he was leaving as well,”
“It was a bit scary at the start the way he fall back initially but he was OK. Throughout he was talking to the umpires and the physio. Hit on the back of the neck so he’s being assessed at the moment.”
SECOND UPDATE: Cricket Australia confirmed that “Karunaratne received the all clear and was discharged from hospital late on Saturday night, but a decision on whether he bats during Sri Lanka’s first innings will not be made until Sunday.”