New Delhi:
Australian speedster Jhye Richardson suffers a dislocated shoulder and will not take to the field again in the second ODI. The 22-year old suffered the injury on the fifth ball of the eleventh over diving to his left in an attempt to save a boundary in the deep midwicket area. He landed heavily on his right elbow, and immediately gestured for help, with his right arm hanging limply by his side.
In truth, tonight's unavailability will be the least of Richardson's worries, or indeed Australia's. There is a strong possibility the fast bowler may face several weeks on the sidelines, and with the World Cup less than two months away, his potential absence for the tournament will be a major cause for concern for the defending champions.
Richardson has been in sublime form from quite sometime now and performing exceedingly well in the ongoing series against Pakistan. He maintained a probing good line for most of his five-over spell, removing both openers. He also bowled the only two maiden overs of the innings and conceding just 16 runs in his five overs.
Of late, he had become one of the leading fast bowlers in the side, taking eight wickets in the last three ODIs against India and making a compelling case for a regular place in the XI in the one-day setup. In the more immediate term, Richardson's injury left Australia with a bowler short, with Aaron Finch pressing himself into service to make up some of the shortfalls.
Meanwhile, Australia is finally back on the winning ways of having won the last four games on the trot. This remains to be seen how men-in-yellow perform in the absence of the young sensation.
