India’s flawless performance in the ongoing World Cup, with five consecutive victories, has put them in a comfortable position and one step closer to the semi-finals. However, a worrying moment emerged for the Indian team when their vice-captain and star all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, sustained an injury during the match against Bangladesh in Pune.
The scans showed that Pandya’s injury wasn’t as catastrophic as originally feared. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) formally declared that Pandya wouldn’t be playing in the critical match against New Zealand, held on October 22nd in Dharamshala. He was due to rejoin the team in Lucknow before their encounter against the reigning champs.
Consequently, Hardik Pandya didn’t accompany the squad and instead proceeded to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, where he would undergo specialist care and rehabilitation. However, now that he’s at the NCA, it’s been announced that he won’t be part of India’s forthcoming league encounter against England.
The latest reports suggest that Hardik Pandya may even be sidelined for the game against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 2. Currently, Team India has not made any moves to find a replacement for him in the squad. However, if he’s unable to participate in the match against South Africa scheduled for November 5, the management might have to consider bringing in a replacement. Pandya’s absence previously led to India making two changes to accommodate it against New Zealand, resulting in the team playing with only five specialist bowlers.
As per the TOI reports, “The medical team under Nitin Patel is monitoring him at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. But the injury looks a bit more serious than what was first perceived. It looks like he has suffered a minor ligament tear which usually takes at least two weeks to heal. The NCA will not release him before his injury heals. The medical team has communicated to the team management that they are hopeful of putting him back on the pitch soon. The team doesn’t want to bring in a replacement. It’s ready to wait,” a BCCI source told TOI.
“The team is currently comfortably placed in the tournament. Hardik will most likely stay back at NCA to do his rehab rather than travel with the team right now. The current situation is such that a call on Hardik’s involvement for the rest of the tournament will be taken next week. His return to play will have to be carefully charted. His fragile foundation makes the recovery longer than a lot of other players who have greater muscle mass.
“If need be, he is ready to take injections and play in the business end of the tournament. Anyway, if Hardik isn’t bowling at full tilt, it doesn’t really make such a big difference to the composition,” the source further said.
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Meanwhile, the choice of whether India will go for a third spinner, possibly R Ashwin, or stick with three pacers, as seen in Dharamsala, remains to be settled. The pitch in Lucknow, while not excessively dry, usually tends to be more favorable to spinners than pacers. However, the final call will be made nearer to the match. As per a team spokesperson, the Indian team is set to hold another optional practice session on Friday afternoon.
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