India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant did not turn up on the field with his teammates on the third day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Tuesday, with Dhruv Jurel instead keeping wickets.
Sri Lanka resumed their first innings from their overnight score of 8/2 after three overs. Earlier, India declared at a total of 503/9 on Monday, following centuries from Devdutt Padikkal and Jurel.
Pant is not keeping wickets for India in the second Test against Sri Lanka because of a shoulder injury. Jurel confirmed the development after the second day’s play on Monday.
“He (Pant) got hurt on his right shoulder. Physio is monitoring him. Today, I kept wickets because he had pain in his right shoulder. Hopefully, he’ll be fine tomorrow,” Jurel had said during the post-match press conference after the second day’s play on Monday.
No Rishabh Pant on day 3 either
Pant, however, did not take the field on Tuesday either, suggesting he may not have fully recovered. On the first day of the second Test, the 28-year-old had retired hurt while batting on three runs, after he injured his wrist.
He, however, returned to bat on the second day after the dismissal of Saransh Jain earlier. Pant scored 63 runs from 89 deliveries, hitting six fours and two sixes. Pant forged a 112-run stand with Jurel for the seventh wicket.
Jurel registered his second Test century after the dismissal of Pant. While it may look as though Jurel might very well have cemented his place in the India Test XI, he said that he is not thinking too much about the competition for spots.
“It is never stress-free because when you are representing India – and we are very grateful that we are representing India – butterflies are always there. It is just that starting phase, when you play your first 20-25 balls, what goes through your mind. Even though I scored a hundred today, tomorrow I will start from zero again, so that feeling remains,” Jurel added during the press conference on Monday.
At the time of writing, Sri Lanka are 112/3 after 27 overs in their first innings, with Pasindu Sooriyabandara (55*) and Kamindu Mendis (28*) at the crease. Prasidh Krishna removed Kamil Mishara early on Tuesday, but since then, Mendis and Sooriyabandara have forged a strong partnership nearing 100.
India are looking to seal the two-match Test series after having won the first Test in Galle by 165 runs.