Australian players upset after Eoin Morgan suffers concussion from bouncer

Australian players became upset during the course of the fifth ODI against England when Eoin Morgan was struck on the head by a bouncer from pacer Mitchell Starc, resulting in a concussion.

The England captain tried to duck a bouncer from the speedster which clocked at over 90 miles per hour, but could not get out of the way quickly enough, ending up taking a nasty blow on the side of his helmet.

Morgan did not go down immediately, but it was clear he was dazed from the hit. England physios immediately ran onto the field to assess him, and after a few minutes, he was taken off the field, clearly unable to continue. As the match went on, it was confirmed by the English medical staff that the batsman had suffered a concussion and would no longer be able to take any further part in the match.

The incident brought back memories of Phillip Hughes’ death to the Australians. Hughes was struck by a bouncer while playing for South Australia in a Sheffield Shield match last November and died two days later. Incidentally, Mitchell Starc was also on the field in Hughes’ last match, as was England coach Trevor Bayliss, who was then coaching New South Wales.

Bayliss later revealed, via an ESPNCricinfo report, that Morgan was already recovering fast from the incident, with only a small lump on his head and a headache to show for. He also mentioned that although Morgan was walking around in the dressing room, he would continue to be monitored for the next few days.

Meanwhile, Australian captain Steve Smith confirmed that some of his team-mates had been shaken after the incident.

"I think there were a couple of guys that were a bit shaken up, Starcy in particular. Obviously it was a tough summer for us back home, losing a close mate. It's always nasty when you get a (blow) like that, so there were a few guys shaken up," Smith said to ABC.

Teammates helped Starc get back into a positive frame of mind after the incident, and even Australia coach Darren Lehmann was seen talking to the pacer near the boundary ropes immediately after the over ended.

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