Steve Smith ruled out of final day at Lord's through concussion

The Australian batsman was struck on the back of the neck by a sharp delivery from Jofra Archer on Saturday afternoon while unbeaten on 80

Steve Smith has been ruled out of the remainder of the second Ashes Test at Lord's with concussion.

The Australian batsman was struck on the back of the neck by a sharp delivery from Jofra Archer on Saturday afternoon while unbeaten on 80.

He initially left the field after receiving treatment, before returning to the crease following the dismissal of Peter Siddle. He was ultimately dismissed by Chris Woakes for 92.

There is no mandatory timeframe on Smith’s return, so he could theoretically take part in the third Test at Headingley, which begins on Thursday.

However, this appears unlikely. A player can only return after being cleared by a medical professional; concussions typically take seven days to recover from.

Marnus Labuschagne has replaced Smith in the playing eleven for the final day's play. He becomes Test cricket's first ever concussion substitute. He will be able to bat and bowl.

Cricket Australia’s decision to allow Smith to return to the crease will doubtless now come under scrutiny.

In the governing body’s own lengthy statement, it declares: “Statistics show that 30 per cent of concussions in Australian cricket are delayed. It is not uncommon for players to pass their tests and feel well on the day of an injury and then display symptoms 24 - 48 hours later.”

Given the hostility of England’s bowling and the risks posed by Second Impact Syndrome (SIS), which occurs when the brain swells shortly after a person suffers a second concussion before symptoms from an earlier concussion have subsided, the decision to allow Smith to re-join the action after the fall of Siddle’s wicket will be called into question.

It came as some surprise to see Smith on his way back down the pavilion steps, given the ferociousness of the blow and the region of his body which it struck - a very similar area to the delivery which result in the tragic death of Phillip Hughes at the SCG five years ago.

However, having put Smith through three tiers of concussion testing, Australia were convinced that he was fit to play.

Smith was asked a series of Maddocks questions - "where are you playing", "who was bowling", "where did the ball hit you" and the like - by team doctor Richard Saw on the pitch, a practice common among sportspeople who have sustained a blow to the head.

Then, once back in the confines of the changing room, he underwent a further 20 minutes of examination.

This included a Scat 5 test - a visual assessment of the patient, looking for symptoms of concussion - and Cricket Australia's computerised Cogsport test.

The latter compares the subject's results against pre-established baselines to detect abnormalities. Smith passed all without a hitch, though he was later sent for an X-ray on his arm injury - also caused by an Archer short ball - which showed there had been no break.

The concussion replacement request form submitted to the ICC by Cricket Australia stated that Smith felt a “headache,” “drowsiness” and “dizziness”, while also “feeling slowed down” and “feeling in a fog.”

^{Steve Smith was struck by a bouncer from Jofra Archer on Saturday}

A lengthy statement from Cricket Australia declared: “Steve has been closely monitored by medical staff overnight and this morning reported that after sleeping well, he woke with 'a bit of a headache and a feeling of grogginess.' Steve reported that his left arm which was also struck during his innings yesterday was 'much better'.

“As part of the Cricket Australia concussion protocol, repeat concussion testing of Steve Smith was also performed this morning and demonstrated some deterioration from his testing which is consistent with the emergence of the symptoms he was reporting.”

It added: “In terms of Steve’s availability for the third Test, this will be considered over the coming days but the short turnaround to the next Test is not in his favour. Steve’s fitness will be assessed on an ongoing basis.

"Steve will undergo a precautionary scan on his neck on Sunday.

"Despite the unfortunate nature of what has happened, the positive is that the concussion protocol, including the availability of the concussion substitute, which has been recently brought in has served its purpose.

“A player is no longer under pressure to take the field when he or she displays symptoms of concussion and a side is not disadvantaged having lost a player to a blow to the head or neck.

“Cricket Australia is proud to have been leaders in this area, having introduced concussion substitutes in domestic cricket and worked with the ICC to introduce them in international cricket.”

To celebrate England winning the World Cup you can subscribe to The Cricketer for just £20.19. Click here to learn more

Subscribe to The Cricketer for exclusive content every day: The inside track on England's Test tour with George Dobell in Pakistan, award-winning analysis, breaking news and interviews and the only place for in-depth county coverage all year round. Plus: An ad-free app experience at your fingertips. Subscribe to thecricketer.com today for just £1.