List of Indian Players Who Got Injured During The Border Gavaskar Trophy

India is battling it out against Australia in the third Test of the ongoing 4-match series in Sydney. Not just against Australia, but against the scare of not having their strongest playing eleven on the field. Apart from the captain, Virat Kohli, who is back home to attend the birth of his child, India missed as many as 7  players – who could have participated in the series – on the field on Saturday (January 9) while bowling to the Aussie batters in the second innings.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma were the earliest casualties; both the pacers couldn’t even travel to Australia after sustaining injuries in the IPL. By the end of Day 3 at the SCG, five Indian players – 4 of which have played in at least one match of the series – have visited the hospital after enduring injuries.

5 Indian players who got injured during the series against Australia:

Mohammed Shami

Even without the likes of Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the squad, the pace bowling attack still looked menacing in the presence of three senior pacers: Jasprit Burmah, Mohammed Shami, and Umesh Yadav. India dismissed Australia for 191 in the first innings in Adelaide.

However, in the second innings, India was a pacer down, as Mohammed Shami had injured his wrist while facing a bouncer from Pat Cummins. The short ball hit Shami’s right hand and he walked off back to the dressing room. Shami didn’t come out to bowl; later he was ruled out of the remaining three matches of the series with a fractured arm.

Umesh Yadav

After the second Test in Melbourne, the tally of the remaining senior pacers halved from two leaving Jasprit Bumrah alone as the only one with experience of high-level Test cricket; Shardul Thakur has played a solitary Test, while Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini haven’t made their Test debut till the Boxing Day Test.

Umesh Yadav, who finally seemed to get hold of the Australian conditions in his career, walked off the field during Australia’s second innings in Melbourne. Umesh injured his calf while bowling his fourth over in the second innings. T Natarajan, another youngster, was added to the squad as Yadav couldn’t take any further part in the series.

KL Rahul

Another injured player from the Indian squad is sent back home after KL Rahul was ruled out of the Test series with a sprained left wrist. He had hurt his wrist during India’s practice session ahead of the third Test.

The wicket-keeper batsman will undergo rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru and will require about three weeks to recover. Though the Kings XI Punjab skipper was unlikely to be selected in any Test, however, this injury puts him in doubt for the home matches against England.

Rishabh Pant

On Day 3 of the SCG Test, Pat Cummins once again has injured an Indian batsman with a short ball – cannot blame him though – as Rishabh Pant failed to connect his pull shot and copped the ball straight on his left elbow. Pant, who wasn’t wearing an arm guard at that moment, straightaway went down on his haunches.

The left-hander was in serious pain as the physio attended him for about five minutes. Pant, in discomfort, continued to bat for three more overs, before chasing a wide Josh Hazlewood delivery, edging it to David Warner at first slip.

The Twitter handle of BCCI revealed that the keeper was taken for scans. Wriddhiman Saha, who was dropped after the first Test, took the wicket-keeping duties in Australia’s second innings. Fortunately, the scans have revealed no major damage to Pant’s elbow and the southpaw will be available to bat if needed in the second innings.

Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja is the latest entrant in the list of players who have suffered an injury on this tour. The left-hander was hit on his left thumb while defending a sharp bouncer from Mitchell Starc, who hurls these at a high pace. Jadeja continued to bat for a couple of more overs before India’s innings came to an end.

Jadeja, who has suffered a hamstring injury and a concussion earlier on the tour courtesy of which he missed the Adelaide Test, was seen in the dressing room but didn’t field during Australia’s second innings. The BCCI gave an update stating that the all-rounder has also been taken for scans, which later revealed a fractured thumb. It is reported Jadeja will not be fit to bat in India’s second innings and is likely to be ruled out of the Brisbane Test.

Also Read: Aakash Chopra Explains Why Pat Cummins Has Had Cheteshwar Pujara’s Number In The Current Series