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Mitchell Starc walked out to a standing ovation at Adelaide Oval with Australia needing two runs to win the trans-Tasman Test series 2-0.
The courageous fast bowler had been diagnosed with a fractured foot - an injury likely to keep to him out of cricket for the next few months.
So why the hell was he sent out to bat?
Australia had two perfectly healthy batsmen in Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood to send to the crease.
Admittedly, both are battlers with the willow but Lyon proved he could hold a bat in the first innings with a handy 34, while Hazlewood has carried his bat eight times in 14 innings.
With seven slips and only one fieldsman on the leg side, surely either of the two tailenders could have got something behind the ball to beat an open field.
Instead a ginger Starc limped to the wicket looking in considerable pain.
I'm no doctor but foot stress fractures are a serious injury - an issue that can cause a player considerable issues throughout his career if mismanaged.
Starc is an absolute star and is one of the world's premier fast bowlers at the age of 25. Why would you allow any situation that could possibly jeapordise the future of your most important bowler?
Aussie captain Steve Smith laughed off the situation when asked post-match.
"The damage was done, he was just trying to win the game for Australia. He’s a great team man," Smith said.
"It was nice of him to go out there and put his hand up which he always does for the team.
"He’d been hitting the ball extremely well. I thought if he came in and got one out of the screws that would be it. Unfortunately he hit one straight to the fielder and had to run two!"
Whatever the circumstances, Smith probably has the same medical qualifications as myself.