South African spearhead paceman Vernon Philander says he's lucky to be able to continue playing in the second Test against Australia after a mid-pitch clash that forced him off the Hobart ground.
The right-armer finished day one at Bellerive Oval with 5-21, playing a vital role in the decimation of the home side who were all out for just 85.
But it could have been a very different story after Philander, already boasting figures of 3-2 in the 13th over, was left writhing in pain on the Bellerive deck.
After bowling to opposition skipper Steve Smith, Philander turned toward the umpire for an appeal when he was knocked from behind by the Australian.
"I was busy appealing so I didn't have my hardest focus on him (Smith) and he basically jammed me with his elbow, but obviously he was ball-watching as well," the South African said of the tangle.
"(He) hit me on the shoulder and I felt a bit of pain straight away (so) I head off."
It was a nervous wait for the Proteas camp which lost star bowler Dale Steyn to a series-ending shoulder injury during the successful first Test in Perth.
"Luckily we've got the best physio in the world and he managed to get me back on the park pretty quickly," said Philander, who returned for the second and third sessions on Saturday to claim another two wickets.
"These things happen. I'm just glad that I can still partake in the game. It could have been much worse but - (I've) a bit of muscle soreness but I'll be okay pretty soon."
Philander, who returned from an ankle injury just a couple of months ago, has long been a thorn in the Australian side, including taking 5-15 on Test debut when the two sides met in November 2011 at Cape Town.
He was modest about South Africa's latest humiliation of Australia on home soil.
"We're always pleased bowling a team out for that amount but it was an all-round performance by everyone," he said.
Bowling at speeds of about 120km/h Philander said he was more focused on placement than speed and was rewarded with scalps including opener David Warner, Usman Khawaja and Adam Voges.
