Indian cricketer Mayank Agarwal has been ruled out of the first Test of their five-match series against England at Nottingham on August 4, after being hit by a bouncer from teammate Mohammed Siraj in the nets on Monday.
Updating on the condition and status of the opening batsman, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released a statement.
"The BCCI Medical Team assessed him, and a concussion test was conducted. He has shown signs of concussion and is ruled out of the opening Test against England. The 30-year-old is stable and will remain under close medical observation."
As per reports, Agarwal misjudged a short ball from pacer Siraj, which resulted in a blow to the back of his head. The Indian physio Nitin Patel immediately rushed to the aid of Agarwal and helped him back to the dressing room.
After an injury to Shubman Gill a few weeks ago, Agarwal was expected to partner Rohit Sharma at the top of the order for the first Test in Trent Bridge. Agarwal has represented India in 14 Tests after making his debut in cricket’s longest format in 2018 against Australia in Melbourne.
Going forward, it remains to be seen if Agarwal recovers in time for the second Test at Lord’s.
Meanwhile, India will now bank on the services of KL Rahul or Abhimanyu Easwaran to open the innings on Wednesday.
Team India has been plagued with injuries during their ongoing tour of the United Kingdom (UK) over the past few months. Pacer Avesh Khan and all-rounder Washington Sundar have also been ruled out of the tour.
Featured photo : Paul Ellis / AFP
