AUS vs. IND [WATCH]: Rishabh Pant suffered multiple blows to his body after being attacked by Australia’s bowlers on the first day of the SCG Test
Rishabh Pant he is a unique character in the Indian team. The wicket-keeper batsman endured enough physical pain and still managed to come back and play for the country against all odds. Something similar happened on the first day of the latest ongoing test Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Pant was not well received by the Australian bowlers as he came into the batting position.
Rishabh Pant took a couple of blows to the body in a brave effort with the bat
The goalie batter arrived at the crease after lunch as a Shubman Gill was fired by Nathan Lyon on the last ball of the opening session. Pant tried to spend some time at the crease and gain momentum after lunch. But the Australian pace attack, and Mitchell Starc he especially had other plans for Pant. A short ball bowled by Starc from the off side hit Pant’s upper arm directly, leaving a red mark on his left bicep. Paramedics had to rush to the ground to apply an ice pack to the targeted area and swerve to allow Pant to continue batting.
Another short ball from Starc was aimed at Pant’s helmet as the 27-year-old had to remove his helmet to reduce the impact of the recoil and see any damage that might have been caused by the targeted delivery. Others in the Aussie pace-attack were not kind either. Free shipping from Scott Boland aimed at Pant’s pads bounced further and hit Pant’s groin instead. Pant was visibly in pain after that but continued to bat.
Also WATCH: Steve Smith reacts after third umpire overrules his catch of Virat Kohli on day 1 of SCG Test – AUS vs IND
Here’s the video
Rishabh Pant received several heavy blows to the body.#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/TdyJ1qhm9C
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 3, 2025
Indians in desperate need of partnership
The Sydney pitch behaved rather strangely on the first day of the New Year’s Test with lush patches of green and an uneven bounce that particularly helped the pacers. This led to the Indian openers and top bowlers succumbing to the Australian bowling attack. India now need a solid partnership to keep their innings afloat. Pant’s resistance, however, did not last long as he was dismissed after scoring 40 runs off 98 balls.
Also read: Steve Smith likely to lead Australia in Pat Cummins’ absence for Sri Lanka Tests – Reports
