Team India’s opening batter KL Rahul was greeted at the crease with a Josh Hazlewood delivery that kicked off a length and struck him on the wrist. The right-hander was in considerable pain and needed assistance from the physios before continuing his innings.
Opening alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal for the third Test in a row, Rahul survived Mitchell Starc’s first over and faced Hazlewood in the second. The returning pacer’s very first delivery, a traditional length ball outside off-stump, surprised Rahul with extra bounce.
The ball struck him on the wristband, where there was no padding or protection. Rahul immediately dropped his bat and appeared uncomfortable as he tried to cope with the pain. After receiving treatment from the medical staff, he resumed his innings. You can watch here:
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KL Rahul safely navigated the rest of Hazlewood’s over, which ended as a maiden. The Australian pacer appears to be in fine rhythm after missing the second Test in Adelaide with an injury.
KL Rahul suffered a sharp elbow blow during match simulation before the 1st BGT 2024-25 Test
The Karnataka batter was briefly doubtful for the Border-Gavaskar opener in Perth after taking an elbow blow during a match simulation at the WACA against Australia ‘A’.
“I took him for the x-ray and scan and, based upon the reporting, I was a lot more confident that he should be fine. It was just a matter of controlling the pain and giving him some confidence. From a medical point of view, he is absolutely fine,” Team India physiotherapist Kamlesh Jain had said in a video released by BCCI (via India Today).
Rahul appears to have shaken off the early blow, displaying composure during a critical situation. With Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill dismissed cheaply, leaving India at 6/2 in the third over, the responsibility falls on him to stabilize the innings with his resilience.
At the time of writing, KL Rahul remains unbeaten on 12 off 23 balls, with India at 21/2 in the seventh over.
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