IND vs SA: Huge Injury Scare! Shardul Thakur Suffers Shoulder Blow During Practice Session - Reports

India’s bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur sustained a shoulder injury during a net session ahead of the second and final Test against South Africa. Shardul Thakur’s participation in the upcoming red-ball contest between India and South Africa is now uncertain, as per PTI.

Shardul Thakur got hit on his shoulder while batting in a net session on Saturday, prompting concerns about his availability. The decision on his participation depends on a comprehensive assessment of the injury, involving scanning to determine its extent.

Watch – Shardul Thakur Suffers Shoulder Blow During Practice Session

The 32-year-old medium pace bowler appeared visibly uncomfortable and was unable to bowl during the net session. Thakur, who was the first player to enter the throwdown nets, sustained the injury while facing throws from batting coach Vikram Rathour.

The Mumbai cricketer faced discomfort when a delivery kicked up from a length, striking his leading left shoulder and eliciting a cry of pain. Following his batting during the practice session, the physio applied an ice pack sling to alleviate the discomfort in his shoulder.

STORY | Shardul Thakur gets hit on shoulder at nets in South Africa

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— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 30, 2023

Thakur faced a blow during India’s first innings in the recent Test match in Centurion. Gerald Coetzee’s delivery struck the side of his helmet. A similar incident resulted in a catch by David Bedingham off the bowling of Kagiso Rabada in the second innings of the Test.

Team India faced a significant setback in the series opener, losing the match by an innings and 32 runs. South Africa posted a total of 408 runs in their first innings, with opener Dean Elgar contributing 185 runs, while Marco Jansen remained unbeaten with 84.

Shardul Thakur faced challenges, registering figures of 1/101 from 19 overs in the recent red-ball match. He emerged as the costliest Indian bowler in that encounter. Jasprit Bumrah delivered an exceptional performance, registering figures of 4/69 in the series opener.

Shardul Thakur Plays Because He Can Bat – Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Majrekar said that Shardul Thakur secured a place in the playing XI due to his batting capabilities. The former Indian cricketer said that the team preferred depth to their batting in overseas matches.

“Shardul Thakur plays because he can bat. He plays especially in foreign conditions because India is always a little wary of their batting, and you saw why India is a little uncertain about their batting, and hence, Shardul Thakur tends to make the playing XI,” Majrekar said.

The second and final Test match between India and South Africa is scheduled to be played in Cape Town, starting from January 3 to 7, 2024. The visiting team will be hoping to end their multi-format tour with a victory against the hosts during the second Test match.

India’s squad for 2nd Test: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Avesh Khan

Also read: IND vs SA: “Shardul Thakur And Prasidh Krishna Definitely Need To Up Their Game” – Dinesh Karthik