A day after Shardul Thakur copped a blow to his shoulder during a net session on Saturday, reports have emerged that the bowling all-rounder has escaped a serious injury. A source within the Indian team according to Cricbuzz reported that the Mumbai all-rounder is doing well and is on track to play in the 2nd Test against South Africa, starting on January 3rd in Cape Town.
According to reports, the Indian medical team did not recommend any treatment, with Shardul not going for any scans either. Despite the injury, the 32-year-old continued to bat, facing throw downs from a member of the staff.
The right-arm seamer wasn't at his best during the opening Test in Centurion, conceding 101 in his 19 overs with a solitary wicket of Dean Elgar. He contributed 29 in the 1st innings of the Test, but managed only 2 runs in the 2nd as India tumbled to an innings loss.
Optional training session only attended by 7-8 players:
With the training session on Saturday being optional, only 7-8 players attended it, with Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, and KS Bharat apart from Shardul marking their presence.
The visitors will fly to Cape Town for the 2nd and final Test on Sunday morning. Right-arm fast bowler Prasidh Krishna, who had a torrid time at Centurion, is likely to be replaced by Avesh Khan. KL Rahul is expected to continue the keeping duties, while Ravindra Jadeja is believed to replace Ravichandran Ashwin for what looms as a must-win match.
