India vs Australia: Ravindra Jadeja unlikely to take further part in third Test with dislocated thumb; could be out of fourth Test


India vs Australia: Ravindra Jadeja unlikely to take further part in third Test with dislocated thumb; could be out of fourth Test

Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja celebrates the direct hit to run Steve Smith out ( Credits - Cricket Australia)
Ravindra Jadeja celebrates a direct hit to run Steve Smith out on Day 2

In what could be a huge blow to India’s hopes of salvaging the third Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, it has been reported that ace all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has suffered a dislocation in his left thumb which is his bowling hand after copping a blow from a Mitchell Starc bouncer. There could also be a fracture and reports are awaited on the same.

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India find themselves in a spot of bother at the moment with Australia 197 runs ahead and 8 wickets in hand. With two days to go, the hosts would look to score big in the first two sessions or so of Day 4 and give India a huge and unreachable target. India have a huge task at hand to have any hopes of rescuing the Test.

Ravindra Jadeja could be out of series

Journalist for Sports Today, Boria Majumdar took to Twitter to break the news of the injury update on Ravindra Jadeja. He said, “In what is a huge blow for India there is a dislocation in @imjadeja’s left thumb and it can also be a fracture. Final reports awaited. Very very damaging this for India with Jadeja not available to the team.

If the injury is indeed a fracture as suspected, Jadeja could miss the fourth Test in Brisbane as well. A BCCI source has reportedly told PTI, “Ravindra Jadeja has suffered a dislocation and fracture on his left thumb. It will be very difficult for him to wear those gloves and bat. In any case, he will be out of action for at least two to three weeks which rules him out of the final Test. Pant will be able to bat as his injury isn’t that serious.”

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The all-rounder has proven to be of tremendous importance for the Indian side and without him, India will have to play out of their skins to get a positive result in both the third and the fourth Test.

Also Read: India vs Australia: Does Cheteshwar Pujara’s slow ‘approach’ deserve the criticism it’s getting?