&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Badly bruised but will keep wickets on Day 4': Morkel gives key update on Rishabh Pant's injury")
Team India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has provided a key update on Rishabh Pant’s injury status. Pant suffered two blows to his body during India’s first innings against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Retiring hurt after being struck on his wrist on day one, Pant returned to bat on day two but suffered bruises from a short-ball barrage from the Sri Lankan quicks. He, however, got out to off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha on 63 and never made it to the field after that in this game. With three days done, Pant is now expected to keep wickets when play resumes on the fourth day, Morkel confirmed.
The former South African pacer said the team doctors will monitor him overnight and decide on his participation accordingly.
"Rishabh obviously got hit on the shoulder. I think that it was discussed last night," Morkel said after the third day’s play. "It is quite badly bruised. I think he was just a little bit restricted in his movement this morning when he tried to warm up. I think they'll keep on monitoring him now overnight, and hopefully, he'll be behind the stumps for us tomorrow. I think it's important to have him there. His reading of the game is exceptional."
Also read| IND vs SL 2nd Test, Day 3: Krishna, Suthar share 6 wickets as India surge ahead despite rain
Luckily for India, they had a backup keeper, Dhruv Jurel, picked in the XI for the ongoing second Test. Dhruv impressed with his second Test hundred (115), helping India post 503/9 declared. Meanwhile, Pant too scored his fifty (63) and now leads the runs tally for an Indian in the World Test Championship (WTC), surpassing India Test captain Shubman Gill.
Will India Enforce Follow-on?
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Unlike the previous Test, where India decided to bat and later dismissed Sri Lanka in the fourth innings to win the match, they could enforce the follow-on in this Test, with Sri Lanka trailing by 238 runs and two wickets remaining.
Morkel hinted at this possibility, considering how rain had already disrupted proceedings several times across the first three days.
"That will be the first prize… that we can get those two wickets tomorrow early," Morkel said. "I know it's a cliché thing, but you know, with the weather around and sometimes the time it takes with taking the covers on and off, we want to try and get as many overs as possible to the Sri Lankans. So hopefully, we can get those wickets tomorrow and then be brave, put them in, and bowl well."
Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar were among the wickets, picking three each thus far in this innings, as Sri Lanka’s scorecard reads 265 for 8 at stumps on day three.
