‘We have to see how bad the cut is’: India pacer injured ahead of Manchester Test, may need stitches

Team India have been dealt another injury scare ahead of the crucial fourth Test against England in Manchester, starting July 23. India trail the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 1-2 after a heartbreaking 22-run loss at Lord’s and must win the next game to stay alive in the series.

Arshdeep Singh suffers injury

Young left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh suffered a hand injury during net practice on Thursday, July 17. The uncapped Test bowler was reportedly in strong contention to make his debut in Manchester. According to assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, Arshdeep was hit by the ball during practice and cut his hand.

“He took a ball while he was bowling there. So he hit a ball, and he tried to stop it and it’s just a cut. So we have to see how bad the cut is. Obviously, the medical team have taken him off to see a doctor and obviously, if he needs stitches or does he not, that will be important to our planning for the next few days,” Doeschate said.

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The incident prompted bowling coach Morne Morkel to roll his arm over in the nets. Though far from generating the express pace of Jofra Archer, Morkel provided good practice to the batters.

“It’s not a sort of direct practice machine for Jofra (laughs), but obviously Arsh going away there after he cut his hand and Akash not bowling today.

“Sometimes we run a bit thin and if we think the practice is good, someone rolling off 20 yards and a bit taller and shaping the new ball, it is good practice for the batters. They obviously like competing against Morne as well. But it’s mainly about getting the batters the best practice for the Test match,” said Doeschate.

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Keeping up with the light hearted mood of the session, Morkel went back to the dressing room claiming a five-wicket haul against his batters.

Jasprit Bumrah, on the other hand, did not have a bowl and neither did Mohammed Siraj as part of workload management. It remains to be seen if either of them is rested in the next Test with the series on the line.

(With agency inputs)