August 23: The match between India and commenced on Sunday, but Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant suffered an injury on the very first day.
A fast bouncer from Sri Lankan pacer Lahiru Kumara struck Pant on his left wrist, forcing him to leave the field.
The incident occurred during the last session of the first day, right after Kumara returned to bowl the first ball of the 58th over. Bowling ’round the wicket’, he delivered a short ball aimed towards Pant’s body. Attempting a pull shot towards square leg, Pant played too early, and the ball hit his left wrist.
The ball deflected towards wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella, and Pant immediately sat down in visible pain. The impact was on the bone of his left wrist, leading to a significant delay in the game. Team physiotherapist Kamlesh Jain rushed onto the field with an ice pack.
Despite receiving initial treatment for an extended period, Pant’s pain did not subside. After discussions with the umpires, he had to exit the field. At that point, Pant had managed to score just three runs off 15 balls.
In Pant’s absence, left-arm spinning all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja came in to bat at number six. As of now, the management has not issued an official statement regarding Pant’s injury.
After leaving the field, Pant sat in the dugout while team doctor Charles Minz examined his injury. This is not the first time Pant has faced an injury; he previously had to leave the field during the Manchester Test last year due to a fracture in his right foot caused by a delivery from Chris Woakes. However, he made a remarkable comeback, scoring a brilliant half-century later.