Fears for Will Pucovski after blow to head

Will Pucovski looks in serious doubt for a Test debut in Adelaide after receiving a sickening blow to the helmet in the tour match against India.

Will Pucovski after being struck in the helmet off the bowling of Kartik Tyagi of India at Drummoyne Oval in Sydney on Tuesday. Picture: Getty Images

Will Pucovski looks in serious doubt for a Test debut in Adelaide after receiving a blow to the helmet in the tour match against India A at Drummoyne.

The brilliant 22-year-old has a terrible history with concussion and while it was a significant blow he managed to walk off the ground.

Pucovski was batting near stumps on the last day when Indian bowler Kartik Tyagi dropped short. The batsman seemed to get stuck attempting to swat the ball down to fine leg and was struck above the badge of the helmet.

The thud was heard across the ground and the ball bounced off the top of the helmet to the fence.

Pucovski fell immediately and stayed down on hand and knees for a few minutes before walking off with Dr John Orchard. The batsman held his head as he left the field but was reported to be sitting up and talking in the dressing room later. Orchard had treated Phillip

Hughes when he was struck and killed at the SCG in November 2014.

Concerned players surround Will Pucovski after the head knock. Picture: Getty Images

Pucovski’s concussion worries began while he was still at school as he struggled to recover from a sling tackle while playing junior AFL.

He has had an unlucky history with eight recorded concussions in recent years. Earmarked to debut two years ago against Sri Lanka he was replaced at the last minute by Kurtis Patterson. Last year he withdrew from the squad on the eve of the series against Pakistan with mental health issues.

For some time there has been a fear in Australian cricket that another blow would cut short his career. Pucovski scored two double centuries in his only two Sheffield Shield appearances this year.

“Will experienced mild concussion symptoms but was able to leave the field unassisted,” Orchard said.

“He was monitored in our medical room and was communicating freely with staff and teammates as well as family over the phone.

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“We will continue to monitor Will over the coming days and provide an update on his condition in due course. He will remain with the Australia A squad but will not play in the three-day tour match against India at the SCG.”

The future looks bright for Australia’s batsmen but there is a short term crisis brewing ahead of the first Test with incumbent opener Joe Burns in a sorry patch of form and David Warner unlikely to recover from a groin injury

Pucovski is assisted from the field without his helmet, which appeared to be dented by the blow. Picture: Getty Images

Selectors have gone from feast to famine in a few days and will have to look to expand the squad with either Marcus Harris or Usman Khawaja.

Pucovski was ready to go but the question about who should open with him – first raised last week in The Australian – came into even sharper focus when Burns failed again in the tour match at Drummoyne.

Burns dragged a wide ball from Umesh Yadav back onto his stumps for a duck after being dismissed for 4 in the first innings.

Harris, who is not in the Test squad, is the obvious replacement should selectors decide to bring an extra player in, but Usman Khawaja is a possibility if they are looking for experience. If the issue was based on form alone Shaun Marsh would walk into the role after scoring three centuries in his first four Shield knocks.

The good news for Australia is that allrounder Cameron Green looks better every time he plays.

Greg Chappell was way off the mark when he called Green the next Ricky Ponting – Ponting couldn’t bowl like this 21-year-old.

Yes, in the morning he did leave the field with 125 undefeated runs against a decent Indian attack making the sort of statement innings you’d expect from a young Ponting. However it was the four overs he was granted in the second innings that revealed just how gifted the tall young West Australian is.

Green’s fourth delivery had Prithvi Shaw attempting to play with Indian hands in Australian conditions. For the second time in the game he was out caught behind the stumps chasing the ball.

Two overs later Shaw’s opening partner Shubman Gill offered an ill advised waft and scooped a Green delivery to point.

The man who many believe can play Test cricket as a batsman alone is a very dangerous bowler.

The best figures of the day belonged to Mark Steketee who collected 5-37 on the last day.

The best ball of the day, however, belonged to perennial Test bridesmaid Michael Neser who accounted for India’s immovable object, Cheteshwar Pujara.

This week Channel 7 got commentators Ponting, Sunil Gavaskar and Brian Lara to discus the tour and all agreed Pujara is the critical wicket in the forthcoming series, with Ponting calling him “the backbone of their batting”.