India vice-captain Shreyas Iyer suffered an injury scare after completing a terrific catch in the third and final ODI of the three-match series in Sydney on Saturday, October 25. Iyer ran backwards to take one of the catches of the tournament, dismissing Alex Carey in the 34th over of the contest. However, as he landed, his left hip struck the ground with a hard impact.
Fielding at short third-man, Iyer reacted quickly after Carey got a thick outside edge while attempting to hit Harshit Rana out of the park. He timed his run perfectly and completed the catch while moving backwards, but the momentum of his run forced him to fall heavily to the ground.
Focused on holding onto the ball, Iyer only realised he was in pain after completing the catch. The superstar batter was wincing as he struggled to stand on his feet. His teammates rushed to check on him before the physios entered the field at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
There was a brief delay in play as Iyer took his time to get back to his feet, holding his left hip. Unable to move freely, he was assisted off the field by the physios.
The Indian vice-captain did not return to the field for the remainder of the Australian innings. Yashasvi Jaiswal, India’s reserve opener, took his place.
While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not shared an update on the status of the injury, the team will be hoping that their vice-captain is fit to bat.
Iyer has previously had issues with his back and recently took an indefinite break from red-ball cricket to manage his workload.
India’s fielding and ground-catching, apart from a dropped chance by Prasidh Krishna, was largely impressive on Saturday. Former captain Virat Kohli took a sensational catch to dismiss Matt Short, showcasing his extraordinary reflexes. Rohit Sharma also completed a sharp slip catch.
Harshit Rana was the star with the ball, silencing critics by taking four wickets. Off-spinner Washington Sundar claimed two wickets, while comeback man Kuldeep Yadav picked up one.
Apart from Matt Renshaw, who scored a fifty, no other Australian batter was able to capitalise after getting starts. The hosts were bowled out for 236 in 46.4 overs, as they look to complete a clean sweep of the ODI series.
– Ends
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