Coach Chandika Hathurusingha provides update on Dimuth Karunaratne after bouncer hit

The second day of the ongoing second Test between Australia and Sri Lanka in Canberra saw a heart-stopping moment when Sri Lanka opener Dimuth Karunaratne was hit by a dangerous bouncer from Pat Cummins. The southpaw was batting on 46 when he tried to duck out of the way of a fast bouncer from Cummins. However, he could not and the ball hit him on the body, it looked like it was shoulder first. But replays later confirmed that the ball had struck him on the back of the neck, right under the helmet.

With the shock of the impact, the bat popped out of his hand while he was floored, motionless for a moment, sending shock waves through the cricket community. Karunaratne’s batting partner, Australian players and the medical staff soon rushed to check him. The Sri Lanka opener was treated on the ground for nearly 15 minutes before the medical staff and paramedics carefully managed to lift him off the ground and place him on the gurney that had been placed in the medicab.

He was soon taken to hospital as the world anxiously waited for an updated. And in the latest development, Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurusingha said the batsman was “in good spirits” and in “no danger”.

“It was a bit scary at the start the way he fell back, but he was okay throughout, he was talking to the umpires and the physio,” he said after play ended for the day.  “It hit on the back of the neck so he is being assessed.”

Australia on top

Talking about the game, for the second day in a row, Australia managed to take the honours. After centuries from Joe Burns, Travis Head and Kurtis Patterson guided Australia to a mammoth 534 for 5 (declared), Sri Lanka started brightly. Their openers Dimuth Karunaratne (46*) and Lahiru Thirimanne (41) provided a solid start and revived their team’s hopes of a fightback.

However, once Karunaratne was retired hurt, Sri Lanka lost three wickets in quick succession and ended the day on a precarious  123 for 3, still behind by 411.

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