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.

Rishabh Pant was hit on the left elbow while batting in the second session on Saturday. He has been taken for scans. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/NrUPgjAp2c

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 9, 2021

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.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

Read More