“Ball hit same leg which he’s done surgery on”

Team India captain Rohit Sharma has confirmed that keeper-batter Rishabh Pant has swelling on the same knee on which he had surgery following his car accident in December 2022. Rohit added that the stumper went off the field as a precautionary measure.

Pant hobbled off the field on Day 2 of the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand on Thursday, October 17, after being hit on his right knee. The incident occurred in the 37th over in New Zealand’s innings. The keeper missed a stumping chance against Devon Conway off Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling and was hit on the knee as he failed to collect the ball. Pant was seen wincing in pain and went off the field, with Dhruv Jurel replacing him.

Speaking at the press conference after the end of Day 2, Rohit provided an update on Pant’s injury. He said (as quoted by ESPNcricinfo):

“Unfortunately, the ball hit straight on his knee cap, the same leg which he’s done a surgery on. So he has got a bit of swelling on it. And you know the muscles are quite tender at this point in time so it’s a precautionary measure.”

“We don’t want to take a risk. Rishabh doesn’t want to take a risk because he has gone through a massive surgery on that particular leg. That was the reason for him to go inside. Hopefully, at night he can recover and we will see him back on the field tomorrow,” the Indian captain went on to add.

Pant suffered multiple injuries in a horrific car accident in December 2022. He made a successful comeback to competitive cricket during IPL 2024 and was also part of the Indian team that won the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Pant top-scored with 20 as India were bundled out for 46

Day 2 of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru was a forgettable one for India, which only got worse with Pant’s injury in the last session. The hosts won the toss and batted first, but were knocked over for 46 in 31.2 overs in conditions that proved to be extremely challenging.

Pant top-scored for India with 20 off 49 balls. The hosts, however, registered their lowest Test total at home and third-lowest ever. Five Indian batters perished without disturbing the scoreboard – Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin. For New Zealand, Matt Henry claimed 5-15 and William O’Rourke 4-22.