Steve Smith ruled out of third Ashes Test after missing Australia training

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Will Macpherson20 August 2019

Steve Smith has been officially ruled out of the Third Ashes Test at Headingley with concussion.

On Tuesday morning in Leeds, Smith watched on as his team-mates trained, chatting to coach Justin Langer, the team doctor Richard Saw and former Australia captain Mark Taylor. He did not bat in the nets.

Langer soon moved to rule him out of the Test match. He will be monitored ahead of the fourth and fifth Tests, which do not take place until September.

Former captain Smith, who averages 63 from 66 Tests, was struck on the neck by England pace sensation Jofra Archer at Lord’s on Saturday, forcing him to retire hurt for around 40 minutes after lengthy medical assessments on field.

On Sunday morning he was assessed again, and diagnosed with delayed concussion and replaced in the match by Marnus Labuschagne, Test cricket’s first concussion substitute.

That immediately threw Smith’s participation in the Third Test into doubt. While cricket has no mandatory spell on the sidelines in such situations, Australia immediately played down his chances but only said that he would be constantly assessed and said he would have to face Australia’s quicks in the nets to be passed fit. This morning his absence was confirmed.

Having won at Edgbaston and drawn at Lord’s, Australia only need to win one of the final three Tests to retain the Ashes, which they have not done in England since 2001.

Smith’s absence at Headingley, however, offers England a huge chance to level the series. He has made scores of 144, 142 and 96 so far in the series, and has seven successive Ashes half-centuries. Meanwhile, the rest of Australia’s batting order have been misfiring and have now been promised more chin music from Archer, who had a fine Test debut at Lord’s.

Smith will be replaced by Labuschagne, who made a composed 59 at Lord’s, if he missed out, but Australia are likely to make other changes. James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc could return, while opener Cameron Bancroft could be dropped. Travis Head was practising in Bancroft’s regular position of short leg this morning. That would bring Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Harris into contention.

The impact of Smith’s blow has already been seen, with Aussie batsman Head wearing a stemguard on his helmet to protect his neck. Smith will do the same when he eventually returns to the nets, despite it making him feel “claustrophobic”.

In Pictures | Steve Smith retires hurt at Lord's | 17/08/2019

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England were due to hold an optional training session this afternoon having assembled in Leeds last night.

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