India A captain Rishabh Pant retired hurt during the second unofficial Test against South Africa A after being hit by pacer Tshepo Moreki. Despite the blows, he later returned to the crease to score a brilliant half-century (65 off 54 balls).
India A skipper and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant on Saturday retired hurt after being hit by the ball on the body multiple times while batting on the third day of the ongoing second final Unofficial Test, which is being played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Pant Struck Multiple Times
During the opening session on Day 3, Rishabh Pant was struck three times on the body and helmet by pacer Tshepo Moreki, forcing him to retire hurt after scoring 17 runs off 22 balls in the 34th over of India A’s second innings. Pant had come in to bat at No. 5 early in the morning, following the dismissal of overnight batter KL Rahul, who was dismissed by an inswinger which was bowled by Okuhle Cele for 27 after adding just one run to his overnight score. The wicketkeeper-batter got off to a brisk start, striking Cele for two boundaries and a six off his first three scoring shots, but later, some short deliveries soon had him in discomfort, because of which he had to leave the field.
The first of Pant’s three blows came when he attempted a reverse pick-up off a short delivery from Tshepo Moreki. He was off balance at the moment of impact. The ball struck him on the helmet, sending him tumbling to the ground. The second blow followed soon after, as a rising delivery struck him painfully on the right elbow while he attempted a short-arm jab. The third and final blow came when the delivery jagged back sharply, which caught Pant in the abdomen, leaving him visibly in discomfort, which forced the management to call him off the field.
Brilliant Comeback with a Half-Century
Later in the match, Pant came back to the ground and played a brilliant innings of 65 runs from just 54 balls which was laced with five boundaries and four maximums in his innings.
Return After Previous Injury
Earlier, the 28-year-old cricketer returned after healing from his injured foot suffered during the fourth Test in England and got himself some game time as India A’s captain during the ongoing two unofficial Tests against South Africa, scoring 17 and 90 in India’s win in the first game at Bengaluru.
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