Rishabh Pant retires hurt after wrist blow in Colombo Test

Rishabh Pant was forced to retire hurt after being struck on his left wrist by a short delivery from Lahiru Kumara during India's second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Sunday, the blow arriving in the 58th over of India's first innings shortly after tea with Pant on three.

India had won the toss and elected to bat at the Sinhalese Sports Club, where debutant Saransh Jain was included in the side; the visitors laboured in the opening session, losing two early wickets before lunch. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal fell in that period, leaving India under pressure until the middle session recovery.

KL Rahul was the first wicket to fall, edging Lahiru Kumara to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella for 18. Yashasvi Jaiswal then made 45 after Asitha Fernando found his inside edge, a dismissal that was followed by a heated exchange between Jaiswal and Fernando.

Shubman Gill and Devdutt Padikkal steadied the innings with a 120-run partnership for the third wicket, and Gill reached a half-century before being dismissed on the stroke of tea. Gill edged Asitha Fernando to Dickwella to end the stand, leaving India 187/3 at the interval.

Padikkal was unbeaten on 63 at tea, having reached his half-century off 90 balls and survived a chance when Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva dropped a chance at backward point off Keshara Nuwantha. A powerful pull off Lahiru Kumara was noted among Padikkal's key strokes during his stay at the crease.

The injury to Pant occurred soon after the interval when he attempted to pull a short ball and only managed to glove it, immediately showing discomfort. The physio attended during an extended stoppage, applied an ice pack to the affected wrist, and Pant subsequently walked off retired hurt with Ravindra Jadeja sent in to bat in his place.

Pant's departure has added another concern to India's day; the extent of the wrist problem is yet to be established.