Saha sustains injury, Pant keeps wickets in final hour on Day 3

Indian wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha suffered an injury during the South African second innings on day three in the third and final Test in Ranchi on Monday (October 21).

The first-choice keeper suffered a blow on his right ring finger in the 27th over, while keeping to off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

The 35-year-old Saha, who was phenomenal behind the stumps in the second Test in Pune, will add this to his long list of on-field setbacks that the Bengal stumper had suffered in his career.

Earlier, Saha suffered a career-threatening shoulder injury for which he had to undergo surgery which forced him out of the national team for 20 months.

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“Wriddhiman Saha had a ball impact on his right ring finger. He is being treated and is doing well. He will be assessed tomorrow morning,” Indian team’s media cell released a statement.

It was George Linde who tried to play a cut but missed and Saha got hit on his right ring finger which prompted physio Nitin Patel to escort him back to the dressing room.

For the remainder of the third day, Pant kept wickets and become the second “substitute wicketkeeper” for India after the ICC rules came into effect in late 2017.

The first substitute keeper for India was Dinesh Karthik, who replaced Parthiv Patel in the final Test against South Africa in Johannesburg in January 2018.

(With inputs from agencies)