Team India all-rounder Shardul Thakur is reportedly in good condition after taking a hit to his left shoulder during an optional practice session at Centurion on Saturday, December 30. Thakur, who was the first to enter the nets, was struck on the left shoulder while receiving throwdowns from a support staff member.
The 32-year-old is facing scrutiny for his performance in the first Test against South Africa in Centurion, where he struggled with both bat and ball.
As a right-arm pacer, he gave away 101 runs in 19 overs, securing only one wicket. In batting, he scored 24 and 2 as India suffered an innings and 32-run defeat in the Boxing Day Test.
As reported by Cricbuzz, the Indian team’s medical staff hasn’t prescribed any treatment for the all-rounder, and he also continued batting despite the shoulder impact without undergoing any scans.
A source, as cited by a website, mentioned:
“There is no concern at all. No problems.”
As per a PTI report, Thakur experienced discomfort after the shoulder blow and refrained from bowling during the net session.
The incident happened approximately 15 minutes into the practice when a throwdown from a support staff member rose sharply from the length.
Thakur, in a position reminiscent of his dismissal in the second innings of the Centurion Test, faced an uncomfortable situation during the net session. Following his batting, the physio applied an ice pack sling to his shoulder.
Notably, other players, including Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, and KS Bharat, participated in the optional training session in Centurion.
Is Shardul Thakur going to play in the second Test?
The decision to include Shardul Thakur in the second Test is uncertain, given his subpar performance in Centurion, where he struggled with bowling accuracy and failed to create pressure on South Africa’s batsmen.
Prasidh Krishna, making his debut, faced challenges, recording 1/93 from 20 overs. Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan are additional pace bowling choices. Additionally, Ravindra Jadeja, recovering from back spasms, is expected to rejoin the XI for the Cape Town Test scheduled from January 3 to 7.
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