Shardul Thakur suffers a blow on the shoulder in Centurion

Already reeling from the disastrous hammering in the first Test in Centurion, India have suffered a massive setback as Shardul Thakur, the only pace-bowling all-rounder in the team, have suffered a blow to his shoulder while batting in the nets in Centurion. He looked in significant discomfort after the blow and didn’t bowl after that.

PTI reported that the ball that hit him on his shoulder first kicked up from a length, leaving Thakur in an uncomfortable position that hit his leading left shoulder. There is no confirmation that Thakur would need a scan, but what might be an encouraging sign for India is that he continued to bat later.

Thakur didn’t have a great Test for India in Centurion and conceded 101 runs for just one wicket. His down-the-leg-side bowling was not something India would have expected from their fourth pacer, although that tactic yielded him the wicket of Dean Elgar. India have called up Avesh Khan, who is in South Africa as a part of the India A squad, to join the senior squad in Cape Town as a back-up for Mohammed Shami.

India and South Africa will engage in the second Test of the series at the Newlands in Cape Town, from January 3.