India Cricket Team all-rounder Shardul Thakur has been hit on the head by a short pitched ball from Gerald Coetzee. Shardul tried to play a pull shot but the ball hit the Indian batter on the head. Shardul looked in a bit of pain. The umpires stopped the game as the physios rushed into the pitch. After a mandatory concussion check, Shardul looked okay to continue.
South African pitches are notoriously known for their uneven pace and bounce. Apart from the lateral movement of the ball, the bouncers are deadly. Shardul Thakur was on the receiving end of one such bouncer in the IND vs SA 1st Test.
Shardul Thakur came to bat after Ravichandran Ashwin was dismissed. With India in a bit of trouble, Shardul started to stitch a good partnership with KL Rahul to build on a good score.
But Proteas pacer, in a bid to disrupt the partnership bowled a short pitched ball. As customary for a batter, Shardul Thakur slung his bat in a bid to play a pull shot. But there was no connection of the leather with the willow. The ball caried on with a rate of knots to hit Shardul on his helmet.
Shardul looked a bit rattled. He tried to shake off the blow as Indian physios rushed into the pitch. The physios provided the all-rounder with some treatment as Shardul applied ice-pack on his head. After a series on concussion checks, Shardul was declared fit to continue as the game resumed.