India will be sweating on the fitness of Rishabh Pant, who has gone for scans after being hit on the left elbow while batting in the third Test in Sydney against Australia on Saturday. Wriddhiman Saha will keep wickets for India in Australia’s second innings.
Pant missed a short ball from Pat Cummins and was struck on the elbow. He was in visible pain and batted on for a brief while after being attended to by the physio. Pant started his innings well but lost his flow after the injury and eventually fell for 36 off 67 as India folded for 244 in reply to Australia’s 338.
Pant’s keeping was under the scanner in the Test, having dropped two catches in the first innings. Saha was the preferred first-choice keeper for India at the start of the series before Pant was picked from the second game for his superior batting.
Meanwhile, Jadeja too was hit on the left thumb by a rising delivery from Mitchell Starc late in the innings. Jadeja too carried on before being unbeaten on 28 off 37 as India ran out of wickets.
It remains to be seen if Jadeja is fit to bowl. He picked up four wickets in the first innings apart from running out Steve Smith, who had made a century. Jadeja has not taken the field for Australia’s second innings and Mayank Agarwal is on as substitute fielder.
