Rishabh Pant has a fresh shoulder problem, separate from the wrist he took a knock on the day before. He missed India’s short spell on the field late on Day 2 of the second Test in Colombo, with Dhruv Jurel putting the gloves on instead.
Jurel told reporters after stumps that the team physio was keeping an eye on Pant’s injury and he expects Pant to be fit again by Day 3. “Hopefully, he’ll be fine tomorrow.” A short ball from Asitha Fernando had caught Pant on the shoulder in the 94th over. He had it iced on the spot and carried on to score 63.
Rishabh’s habit of playing unorthodox shots has been leading to fitness concerns, with the wicket-keeper batter taking blows on his body. He has been successful as a batter on most occasions, but regular injuries could lead to serious consequences in the future.
Meanwhile, the southpaw scored a much-needed fifty in the second innings of the series opener in Galle, which played a key role in the team’s victory. In the ongoing final contest, when Sri Lanka were looking to restrict India below the 500-run mark, his 100-plus-run stand with Jurel took the visitors to a dominating position.
Sri Lanka have lost two wickets for 8 runs, and their hope of levelling the red-ball bilateral assignment seems to be over.