India's newest Test cricketer Shardul Thakur will not take the field for the rest of the day, after having walked off in the morning due to a pain in the groin region. Thakur, who could bowl only 1.4 overs on debut against West Indies in Hyderabad, has gone for scans and an update on his participation for the rest of the Test will be taken after being assessed by the team management.
When Thakur's front foot landed on the bowling crease as he delivered his 10th ball in Test cricket, it seemed to buckle and the pain was immediate. There was no followthrough, and even as he started hobbling on the spot, the physio Patrick Farhart ran out to assess the situation. It didn't seem like any immediate treatment was done, though. For the most part, both men just spoke to each other before the captain Virat Kohli joined in, but soon Thakur began walking towards the dressing room.
It was only half an hour ago that Thakur, 26, was being presented his first Test cap - the 294th Test cricketer for India - by coach Ravi Shastri and he was kissing the India crest, celebrating his rise to five-day cricket after a first-class career that began in November 2012. He had been brought in to the XI for Mohammed Shami, who according to Kohli was rested after playing six consecutive Tests.
Thakur had to bail out midway through the Asia Cup in September as well, complaining of a right hip-groin soreness. Although he was back playing cricket 10 days later, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, it seems that now he has aggravated the issue.