AUS vs WI 1st Test: Usman Khawaja Rocked With Mean Bouncer to the Chin, Leaves Pitch Retired Hurt - WATCH

Australia’s ongoing Test series against the West Indies witnessed a nasty moment after Usman Khawaja took a hard bouncer to the chin. It was the final innings of their opening Test match hosted at the Adelaide Oval in Australia.

The hosts just needed 26 runs to pick up a victory over the Windies. Steve Smith and Khawaja opened the chase for their side and in the seventh over as Khawaja got caught with a bouncer.

The Aussie did attempt to evade the ball but it ended up hitting him on the helmet, towards his chin. Khawaja looked in pain as the team physio ran out to the pitch. He was unable to continue the game and left the pitch ‘retired hurt’ with his hand over the left side of his cheekbone.

The year 2024 was off to a sailing start for Australia as they took down Pakistan 3-0 in their previous Test series at home. The current champions of the format maintained their good run against the West Indies, beating them by 10 wickets in their first game of the series.

On Day 1, the Aussies won the toss and decided to field first. Both Path Cummins and Josh Hazlewood combined for an impressive eight-wicket haul. This helped the hosts curb the West Indies at 188 runs. Kirk McKenzie had the best performance from the visiting side as he smashed 50 runs in 94 balls. During Australia’s batting, Usman Khawaja gave the side a perfect start by putting up 45 runs in 111 balls. His knock included a whopping six boundaries.

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Next, it was Travis Head who took the match by storm, scoring a scintillating century and helping his side put 283 runs on the board. West Indies’ Shamar Joseph had a good show that saw him scalp five wickets on debut. However, he was also the most expensive bowler for the West Indies having given away 94 runs in 20 overs.

The West Indies once again found themselves in a dire situation after managing just 120 runs in the second innings. It was Josh Hazlewood who scalped five to curb the visitors to a low score. An 11-run knock from Smith and nine runs from Khawaja before retiring hurt was enough to seal a dominant victory.

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Despite losing their opener, the Windies showed some good signs on Australian soil. Debutants including Samar Joseph, Justin Greaves and Kavem Hodge had good performances in the match. As for Usman Khawaja, it remains to be seen if the Aussie can make a fast recovery for the second Test scheduled to be held at The Gabba.