BAN vs PAK, 2nd Test: Hasan Ali’s Injury Scare In Sylhet Avoided After Freak Head Impact (WATCH)

During the second Test against Bangladesh, Pakistani pacer Hasan Ali suffered a frightening head injury after landing awkwardly while attempting a caught-and-bowled dismissal. He was stretchered off the field for assessment but was thankfully cleared of any major injury, allowing him to return to the match shortly after.

Pakistan's Hasan Ali Stretchered off the Field During Day 1 of the 2nd Test vs Bangladesh

Image Credit: AFP

The Pakistan camp was left deeply anxious on the opening day of the second Test against Bangladesh after the veteran fast bowler Hasan Ali suffered a frightening head injury at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, May 16.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood opted to bowl first after winning the toss, and Bangladesh struggled to get going against the hosts’ disciplined bowling, as Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad spearheaded a relentless pace attack to leave the tourists reeling across morning and afternoon sessions.

At the second session, Bangladesh were at 168/6 in 45 overs, with Litton Das and Taijul Islman batting on 42 and 11, respectively, stitching together a crucial, unbroken 52-run partnership for the seventh wicket to steady the ship before the tea break.

Hasan Ali’s Injury Scare in the Morning Session

As Pakistan deployed its bowling attack, a horrifying incident involving veteran pacer Hasan Ali took place in the first session of the opening day of the second and final Test of the series against Bangladesh in Sylhet.

The incident took place in the eighth over of Bangladesh's first innings batting when opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim chipped a length delivery back towards the bowler. Reacting quickly on his follow-through, Hasan dived sharply on his right in an attempt to ambitiously ecure the caught-and-bowled dismissal.

As the veteran pacer tried to catch-and-bowled dismissal, Hasan fell forward under the momentum of his dive, and he landed awkwardly, causing the right side of his head to slam hard directly into the turf. He was lying on the ground for several minutes as the medical team rushed to him for assessment before he was stretchered off the field.

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The visuals of the incident sparked concern and anxiety in Pakistan’s dressing room and sparked a wave of immediate concern across the ground as teammates surrounded the prone bowler. He was immediately taken to the dressing room for further assessment to check for any signs of a serious concussion, causing widespread speculation regarding whether Pakistan would have to request a like-for-like medical substitute so early in the Test match.

Hasan Ali Avoided a Major Injury Scare

Following assessment by the Pakistan medical team, the visitors’ camp heaved a sigh of relief as Hasan Ali avoided any major structural damage or severe concussion symptoms, allowing him to return to the field and resume his bowling much sooner than anyone expected.

At the time of the head injury, Hasan was bowling the first over of his spell and had completed five deliveries, leaving Salman Ali Agha to step up and bowl the final delivery to finish the over. After returning to the field, the veteran pacer has bowled a few more disciplined overs, showing good rhythm and confirming that he had suffered no adverse lingering effects from the impact.

Hasan Ali returned to the attack in the 19th over of Pakistan’s first innings bowling and brought immediate balance back to the hosts’ multi-pronged pace strategy. In the first Test, the veteran pacer picked four wickets across four innings in Pakistan’s 104-run defeat to Bangladesh in Mirpur.

Meanwhile, Pakistan are looking to draw the series after suffering a historic setback in Dhaka, where the hosts comprehensively outplayed them to take a commanding lead in the two-match series.