Ind vs Aus – India’s injury updates: Rishabh Pant escapes fracture but Ravindra Jadeja ruled out with dislocated thumb

Ind vs Aus 3rd Test Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja injury update: Depleted India’s injury woes worsened on Saturday with senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja sustaining a left thumb dislocation and fracture which is likely to rule him out of the final Test in Brisbane, starting January 15.

However, there is some good news for India as wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant’s elbow injury is not serious and he will probably be available when India bat to save the Test match.

Both players underwent scans after being hit by short balls from Australian pacers on the third day of the Test match.

“Ravindra Jadeja has suffered a dislocation and fracture on his left thumb. It will be very difficult for him to wear those gloves and bat,” a senior BCCI source told PTI on Saturday.

“In any case, he will be out of action for at least two to three weeks which rules him out of the final Test. Pant will be able to bat as his injury isn’t that serious,” the source added.

Breaking in what should come as some relief for India @RishabhPant17 s scans show no major damage. He is in pain but should be able to bat on day 5. He is being treated for the injury. Watch 5@5 @SportsTodayofc for more.

— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) January 9, 2021

The visitors’ first jolt came when Pant sustained an elbow injury after being hit by a Pat Cummins delivery.

Reserve wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha replaced Pant as per a recent amendment in the ICC playing conditions.

“Rishabh Pant was hit on the left elbow while batting in the second session on Saturday. He has been taken for scans,” the BCCI had earlier stated in a release.

Pant, who looked good during his 36 off 67 balls on the third day of the match, was hit while trying to pull a short ball from Cummins.

He was in pain immediately and after on-field treatment that included strapping a bandage, he was back in action but lost the flow due to hindered movement as Josh Hazlewood had him caught behind.

If that was not enough, the Australian fast bowlers inflicted further pain on the Indians with Jadeja suffering a nasty blow to his left thumb. He is unlikely to bowl in the Australian second innings after being taken for scans to ascertain the damage to his bowling hand.

Jadeja’s 28-run knock allowed India to limit Australia’s first-innings lead to less than 100 but towards the end, a short ball from Mitchell Starc hit him on the gloves and he needed immediate medical attention.

“Ravindra Jadeja suffered a blow to his left thumb while batting. He has been taken for scans,” the visiting team’s board stated in another media release after the injury.

Jadeja was in pain and once the team was back on the field for the second innings, his left thumb looked pretty swollen and the physio applied taping on it. He threw a few balls but then it was decided that it won’t be possible for him to continue.

India tour of Australia: Here’s Team India’s injury list so far

It should be noted that coming into the Sydney Test, India had lost Ishant Sharma (before series started), Mohammed Shami (forearm injury), Umesh Yadav (calf muscle injury) and KL Rahul (wrist injury) to various injuries.

Also, India’s no.4 batsman Shreyas Iyer suffered a shoulder injury during the ODI series against Australia. However, it didn’t seem severe at the time, as he carried on playing, but Iyer is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore and will miss the league stage of Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy for Mumbai.

Moreover, Jadeja suffered a hamstring injury during the T20I series owing to which he missed the first Test in Adelaide.

India vs Australia 3rd Test Day 3 at SCG: India struggles, Smith, Labuschagne bolster Australia’s lead to 197

Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith made hay while the sun shone at the Sydney Cricket Ground on the third day of the third Test between Australia and India on Saturday to put the hosts in complete control.

Despite sending both the Aussie openers back to the hut by the 10th over, the Indian bowlers failed to penetrate further as Australia’s score read 103/2 at stumps — Labuschagne batting on 47 and Smith batting on 29. With the odd-ball keeping low, the lead of 197 runs with eight wickets in the bag looks more than handy as the Aussies look to go for the kill. The Indian bowlers had started impressively with pacer Mohammed Siraj removing debutant Will Pucovski (10) in the sixth over while spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked David Warner (13) for the 10th time in the longest format of the game.

But India’s joy ended right there on the third evening as Labuschagne and Smith then added an unbeaten 68 off 121 balls to all but bat India out of the game. It will take a herculean task from the Indians to make a comeback into this game after a middle-order collapse saw India fold up for 244 in their first essay.