India cricketers Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja, who suffered injury on Friday during the third Test against Australia, are still being treated and are unlikely to take field on Day 4 and Day 5 of the match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.
While wicketkeeper-batsman Pant was hit on his elbow by a delivery from Pat Cummins, Jadeja was hit on his left hand by a Mitchell Starc delivery. Reportedly, Pant is still under pain. Jadeja, on the other hand, has dislocated his thumb.
A statement from the BCCI early on Sunday said, “Rishabh Pant still has some pain in his elbow. He is currently being treated. Ravindra Jadeja has a dislocation in his left thumb.”
Left-arm spinner Jadeja, who took a four-wicket haul and got Steve Smith run out in the first innings, did not bowl at all in the second innings. His chance to bat looks bleak. Pant, who was substituted by Saha behind the stumps, too may struggle to bat.
The two had scored 64 combined in India’s first innings, i.e over 26 per cent of India’s total
Meanwhile, Australia on Sunday set India a target of 407 runs in the third Test after declaring their second innings at 312/6 at Tea on Day Foue of ongoing third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Australia skipper decided to walk back to the dressing as umpires called the end of the second session after Cameron Green, who scored 84, got out. Green and Paine shared a 104-run partnership off just 116 balls. Paine remained unbeaten at 39.
Earlier, resuming the session at 182/4, Steve Smith and Green collected runs at a brisk pace and scored boundaries at will, thus adding pressure on the Indian bowlers. Smith (81) was the first wicket to fall in the session as he got out lbw against off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for the third time in the series.