Arun Jaitley Stadium: Defending champions India suffered a brief injury scare on Wednesday after wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan was struck on the toe by a searing Jasprit Bumrah yorker during an optional practice session at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, ahead of their Group A against Namibia on Thursday.Kishan, who has been in prolific form and made 20 in the tournament opening win over USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, was the first to pad up in the nets as Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy and Washington Sundar bowled to him. But early in his session, a Bumrah yorker thudded into his left foot, leaving him in immense pain.
He walked out of the nets grimacing before sitting down on the ground, prompting immediate attention from the physios. Support staff rushed to unfasten his left pad and shoe as Kishan continued to grimace due to the pain. Bowling coach Morne Morkel also checked in during the assessment made by the physios.
After a few minutes, Kishan attempted to walk barefoot, hobbling but showing signs that the injury was not as severe as initially feared. Within five minutes, Kishan put his shoe back on, padded up again and returned to face a handful of deliveries. He looked slightly uneasy before stepping out once more and heading back to the dressing room with a staff member.
Though Kishan appeared in good spirits, there was still a noticeable limp. It remained unclear whether he left the nets early as a precaution or simply ceded batting time to teammate Sanju Samson, who continued the session. Samson is in line to play in Thursday’s game if Abhishek Sharma, who was discharged from the hospital after being admitted there from Monday due to stomach infection, isn’t fit to play in the game.
Amidst this, the Indian batters were focusing heavily on their big-hitting and skipper Suryakumar Yadav even sent a ball to the imaginary third fan fence. Apart from Abhishek, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, and Mohammed Siraj weren’t present in the practice session on the eve of the clash.
“Yes, the dew set in mid-way during India’s practice on Tuesday, but then we have our arrangements to ensure its effect gets reduced and it doesn’t become a big factor in deciding the match’s result,” further said the ground staff member.
Article Source: IANS
