Rishabh Pant was on Wednesday ruled out of India’s second One-Day International against Australia on Friday as the young wicket-keeper batsman has not yet recovered from the concussion he suffered during the series-opener in Mumbai.
While team reached Rajkot on Wednesday, Pant is set to travel to Bengaluru for rehabilitation following the standard concussion protocols.
“He (Pant) is ruled out of the 2nd ODI. His availability for the final ODI will be based on how he responds during the rehabilitation protocol,” BCCI said in a statement, according to PTI.
Pant did not take the field for the second half of the first ODI in Mumbai on Tuesday after getting hit on the helmet by a Pat Cummins bouncer. The pacy delivery took the top edge of Pant’s bad and crashed into his helmet before looping up to the fielder and brought about his dismissal. The umpire had not given out, but Pant walked back nevertheless.
“After getting hit on his helmet while batting in the first ODI, Rishabh got a concussion and took no further part in the game. He was then taken to the hospital for overnight monitoring under a specialist. He is stable and all his scan reports are clear. He has been discharged from the hospital and will head to NCA, Bengaluru to undergo his rehabilitation protocol,” the release added.
Since the third match is in Bengaluru on January 19, it is expected that a call can be taken after observing his physical condition in the next 72 hours, reported PTI.
Pant made 28 off 33 balls in the Mumbai ODI. While Rahul kept wickets, Manish Pandey came in as an on-field replacement for Pant. The Karnataka duo will be expected to reprise their roles in the must-win match for India with a substitute ‘keeper not named.
Australia gave India a 10-wicket hammering in the series-opener, their biggest win against the sub-continental giants.
(With PTI inputs)