With less than a week to go for India’s first home Test against South Africa, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant gave the team management an injury scare after he was forced to retire hurt while playing for India A at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on Friday. The left-hander walked off during the first session on Day 3 after being struck multiple times by South African pacer Tshepo Moreki. Pant, who was batting on 17 off 22 balls, appeared visibly in discomfort after being hit on the helmet, elbow and body in successive overs. The incident occurred during India A’s second innings when Pant, batting at No. 5, was tested with a series of short-pitched deliveries. Despite starting confidently by hitting Okuhle Cele for two boundaries and a six early in his innings, the India A skipper struggled to continue following the repeated blows. His first hit came when attempting a reverse pick-up shot off Moreki, with the ball thudding into his helmet before he immediately fell to the ground. This then forced a concussion check. Watch the multiple blows Rishabh Pant took to his body on SaturdayCleared to bat on, Pant was then struck on the right elbow by another rising delivery, prompting on-field treatment and bandaging. A third delivery, which jagged back into his midsection, left him wincing in pain and led to his eventual retirement. Head coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar and medical staff escorted him off the field as a precautionary measure. While no official update was provided immediately, Pant’s movement appeared restricted after the incident as he constantly kept checking his arm.
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Pant had been making his return to competitive cricket after recovering from a fractured toe sustained in July. He had earlier impressed with a fluent 90 in the opening four-day match of the series, making his comeback with a roaring statement ahead of India’s two Tests against South Africa – part of the ODI and T20I matches that follow. The Test series begins on November 14 in Kolkata, followed by the second match in Guwahati from November 22.
