Debutant Shardul Thakur's Test career started in the worst possible manner as he was forced to walk off the field only after bowling ten deliveries on Day 1 of the second match against the West Indies at Hyderabad Friday.
The 26-year-old pacer suffered a groin strain, turning the much-awaited debut into a nightmare for both the player and the team. After a brief medical attention in the centre, he hobbled out of the field, leaving India with only one pacer in Umesh Yadav.
After bowling the fourth delivery of the fourth over, which the West Indian opener Kieran Powell guided it past backward point, Thakur was seen to be having considerable pain as he started hobbling.
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Once physio Patrick Farhart came inside the ground, the pacer was seen showing what looked like a groin strain. He then left the field after a couple of minutes of deliberation with captain Virat Kohli and the physio.
Ravichandran Ashwin completed Thakur's over by bowling the last two deliveries. The extent of Thakur's injury and his further participation in the match is yet to be ascertained.
This is the second time that the 26-year-old broke down in back-to-back international matches. In September, Thakur was sent home from the Asia Cup after complaining hip injury following the Hong Kong game.
However, he was soon back in action during Vijay Hazare Trophy league phase for Mumbai but there were questions about his fitness status.
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Thakur, who first got into the Test squad in 2016 in the West Indies, has been a backup pacer for more than two years before he replaced Mohammed Shami in the second Test.
Thakur was a part of the Indian squad during the five-Test series in England but did not play a single game.
(With PTI inputs)
