WI vs IND | Jermaine Blackwood replaces Darren Bravo after latter ruled out of second Test due to concussion

09/02/2019

Jermaine Blackwood has been approved by the ICC match referee as Darren Bravo's concussion substitute on Day 4 of the ongoing second Test against India in Jamaica. Bravo had taken a blow to the helmet in the last over of day 3 off a bouncer from Bumrah and felt discomfort while batting today.

Yesterday, the ball had struck the right side of Bravo's helmet, and sent his stem guard flying. Although he faced two more deliveries after that in the same evening and another ten balls on Monday morning, a medical examination confirmed a concussion, and match referee David Boon approved West Indies' request for Blackwood to come into the game as a substitute. Bravo added five runs to his overnight score of 18 before being helped off the field by the team physio.

This has also come as a sudden opportunity for Blackwood who was incidentally not a part of the West Indies squad for the Jamaica Test, but since the ICC regulations allow for a like-for-like replacement, the local player was included in the team. In the past, Blackwood has represented Windies in 27 Tests, with the last one being against Zimbabwe in November 2017.

Now, the Jamaican has becomes the second concussion substitute in men's Test cricket after Marnus Labuschagne, who came in for Steve Smith in the Lord's Ashes Test last month.