Morkel said the medical team is monitoring Pant’s situation thoroughly as the team management hopes to have him keep the wickets on day four
Published: August 25, 2026, 8:33 PM IST
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India’s Rishabh Pant returns to the pavilion after his dismissal on day two of the second Test cricket match between India and Sri Lanka, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Aug24, 2026(PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)
India bowling coach Morne Morkel has commented on Rishabh Pant’s current situation, stating the wicket-keeper batter is badly bruised and that’s why he was unable to keep the wickets on day three of the on-going second Test against Sri Lanka at the SSC Stadium in ColomboMorkel hoped to see Pant back in action on day four tomorrow.
Rishabh Pant was spotted in the dressing room with a strap on his hand after getting hit on his shoulder while batting in the middle on day twoIn his absence, Dhruv Jurel, who smashed a sensational century in the first innings, kept the wickets throughout the day.
Morne Morkel also revealed that the matter was discussed internally between the Indian team managementRishabh Pant faced difficulty in his movement while trying to warm up ahead of day three.
Morkel said the medical team is monitoring Pant’s situation thoroughly as the team management hopes to have him keep the wickets on day four.
“Rishabh, obviously, got hit on the shoulderI think that was discussed last night, as he is quite badly bruisedI think he was just a little bit restricted in his movement this morning when he tried to warm up,” Morkel said in the post-day press conference.
“I think we will keep on monitoring him now overnight and, hopefully, he will be behind the stumps for us tomorrowI think it is important to have him there, his reading of the game is exceptional”, Morkel added.
Morne Morkel also had words of praise for right-arm pacer Prasidh Krishna, who scalped the wickets of Lahiru Udara, Kamil Mishara and Kamindu Mendis in the second inningsMorkel expressed his happiness to see Prasidh transition into a world class bowler, highlighting that the bowler is a massive student of the game.
“He is an extremely hard worker, he is a guy that will do a lot of homework, going into games, doing a lot of research about oppositionSo for him, he is a massive student of the gameIt is just great to see him grow and develop into a world class bowlerI think for India, in all formats, he has the potential and talent to play for a very long time,” Morne Morkel said.
Day three of the second Test ended with Sri Lanka scoring 265/8 after 83.4 overs.
