Rishabh Pant injury update: Why isn’t Pant keeping wickets for India in Sydney Test?

Rishabh Pant injury update: The Indian wicket-keeper batsman got injured while batting against Pat Cummins at the SCG.

During the third day of the third Test of the ongoing India’s tour of Australia in Sydney, India wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant’s absence behind the wickets caused a lot of doubts especially after he scored 36 (67) earlier in the day.

It is worth mentioning that Pant had injured his left elbow while batting against Australia vice-captain Pat Cummins. Wanting to pull a short delivery in the 85th over of the Indian innings, Pant was found wanting against a delivery which didn’t bounce as much as he expected it to.

As a result, the ball went on to hit his left elbow causing severe pain. With the southpaw immediately falling down, he received medical attention from the Indian physio which caused a significant delay.

While Pant was brave enough to continue batting at the Sydney Cricket Ground, he didn’t last long as he edged a Josh Hazlewood delivery to David Warner at first slip amid a lot of pain.

Rishabh Pant injury update

It is due to the same injury that Pant didn’t take field in the second innings. Wriddhiman Saha, who had played the first Test in Adelaide, is currently keeping wickets for the visitors.

While reserve wicket-keepers weren’t allowed to keep wickets in case of an injury to a wicket-keeper in the past, a modification to rule now allows someone like Saha to replace Pant behind the wickets.

“It was felt that, if the original wicketkeeper was genuinely injured, then a substitute should be allowed to take over, but that the umpires should control the situation to prevent abuse. A substitute still cannot bowl, bat or act as captain,” the MCC had explained in a summary of their amendments to Code in 2017.

Despite warming up before the start of the Australian innings, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has also not taken the field after getting hit on his left thumb by a nasty Mitchell Starc delivery.