Injuries add to India’s woes
Australia took charge with lead of 197 in Sydney at the close of play on the third day of the third Test against India on Saturday. And India were left to count the cost of an injury to Ravindra Jadeja after the left-arm spinner was unable to take the field in Australia's second innings after suffering a blow to his bowling hand while batting.
In yet another major injury blow to India on their tour of Australia, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja later has been diagnosed with a dislocated thumb and possible fracture after he took a blow to his thumb.
The 32-year-old was hit on his left thumb as he looked to defend a rising delivery from Australia quick Mitchell Starc.
Rishabh Pant, who did not take the field during Australia's second innings, after he was hit on his elbow by a well-directed bouncer from Pat Cummins, has avoided any major concern and was fine.
Jadeja was India's best bowler in the first innings and his four wickets for 62 helped the side restrict Australia to 338
At one point during the afternoon session, India had four substitute fielders on the ground as Pant, Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin were all off the field.
Between 1980 and 2017, substitute fielders were not permitted to keep wickets in the case of an injury, but the rule was changed and came into effect a little over three years ago.
Like all substitute fielders, Saha cannot bat in Pant's place and only substitutes for a concussed player, a rule that was introduced in 2019, are able to bat, bowl or act as captain in place of the replaced player.
"It was felt that, if the original wicketkeeper was genuinely injured, then a substitute should be allowed to take over, but that the umpires should control the situation to prevent abuse," the Marylebone Cricket Club, the game's law-makers, said at the time of the rule change.
"A substitute still cannot bowl, bat or act as captain."
Coincidentally, India were the first Test team to benefit from the new rule in 2018 when Dinesh Karthik donned the gloves in place of an injured Parthiv Patel during a Test against South Africa in Johannesburg.
More recently, West Indian Joshua Da Silva took the gloves from Shane Dowrich in a Test against England after Dowrich was injured.
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