- Indian assistant coach struck with ball
- Was hit during warm-up on Day 2
- Spent several minutes on the turf
There were concerning scenes at the Gabba ahead of Day 2 when an Indian assistant coach was struck in the head by a ball during a warm-up.
Nuwan Seneviratne was helping with the team’s preparation by throwing down balls when disaster struck.
As he went to catch a ball, he was blindsided by another ball from a different direction which struck him in the side of the head.
Seneviratne dropped to the turf as the Indian team rushed over to his aid.
He spent several minutes on the ground before walking off the park with an ice pack held to his face.
Sports reporter Tom Morris took to social media, writing: ‘An Indian support staff member was just hit in the head with a cricket ball while throwing in a fielding drill. He was wearing a baseball glove and either didn’t see the throw or misjudged it.
Assistant coach Nuwan Seneviratne was helping with the team’s warm-up by throwing down balls when disaster struck
Assistant coach was struck in the side of the head and spent several minutes on the deck
‘Players rushed to check he’s OK. Medical staff are now with him. After five or so minutes he got to his feet with an ice pack on his right cheek/jaw. Scary stuff.’
Meanwhile, play has resumed at the Gabba for the third Test between Australia and India after Saturday was washed out.
Better conditions are expected for Sunday, and while there will likely be some juice in the wicket early, any advantage India took by bowling first may be nullified by lunch.
In an opening session on Saturday that included a 30-minute stoppage for rain, Australia shone early as Usman Khawaja played with a real sense of purpose to be 19 not out.
Dismissed 25 times in Test cricket since his last century at the start of the 2023 Ashes, Khawaja played with great intent and twice pulled Mohammed Siraj to the boundary.
He also clipped Jasprit Bumrah for another four to fine leg, with India’s strike weapon at times guilty of bowling too straight.
Nathan McSweeney was also not out alongside Khawaja on four when the heavy rain hit, having survived his first session at his childhood ‘home” of the Gabba.
India would have been frustrated to go without a wicket after captain Rohit Sharma had no hesitation in sending Australia in to bat.
Fortunately, Seneviratne was able to get up afterwards and walk away
Siraj in particular bowled too short in his first spell, before moving the ball around more in his second and beating the outside edge of Khawaja’s bat.
The tourists had earlier made two changes, with seamer Akash Deep and spinner Ravindra Jadeja coming in for Harshit Rana and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Jadeja’s call-up means India have used three spinners across the first three Tests, with Washington Sundar playing in Perth and Ashwin in Adelaide.
Australia’s only change from the 10-wicket win in Adelaide was Josh Hazlewood’s immediate return from a side strain.
His selection leaves Scott Boland as the unlucky man of Australian cricket, having now played in just 11 of a possible 34 Tests since his magical 2021 debut.
Minimal rain is forecast for Sunday, but there is a threat of bad weather lingering for the final three days of the Test.
