James Faulkner, one of the key players of the Aussie lineup, went off the field during the final of the Carlton Mid ODI tri-series against England. Faulkner was in his 3 over when he complained about a sudden pain in his rib region and left the field right away. Later it was confirmed that he had been suffering from an injury in his ribs (left mid-section to be precise) and that his situation would be assessed with prime focus in the next few days.
Earlier that day, Faulkner had played a blinder with the bat to put Australia in a commanding position. From a score of 60 for 4 at one stage, he managed to pull off an unbeaten fifty off just 24 balls and assisted Australia to achieve 278 runs at the loss of 8 wickets. It looked as though it was going to be his day when he took a wicket off the first ball he bowled. However, he had to leave the field due to pain and his sudden injury has become a topic of worry and tension within the Australian team.
Injuries are a part and parcel of a player’s career, but coming at a time when the team is heading towards one of the most important cricketing event, it becomes quite burdensome and disrupts the team balance as well. Faulkner is a vital member of the Australian ODI team. His quick change ups in bowling and quick fire knocks at the end of the innings with the bat makes him a real asset that Australia wouldn’t want to leave behind.
Edited by Shivang Aggarwal
