Australia’s pacers, Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc, seized control early after winning the toss, quickly dismissing India’s openers.
The situation worsened as Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli followed soon after, leaving India struggling at 72/4.
With Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja at the crease, India’s batting woes deepened as the pitch continued to favour the pacers. Amidst this, Pant endured a series of injuries, including a head blow from Starc.
On the second ball of the 37th over, Starc bowled a well-executed bouncer that angled into Pant, who failed to evade it.
The ball struck the side grill of his helmet, leaving Pant visibly shaken. Starc immediately walked over to check on him, while Pant removed his helmet, clearly in discomfort. A mandatory concussion test followed, with the Indian physio attending to Pant.
— DJ Sinha (@sdj374531) January 3, 2025
After a brief pause, Pant passed the concussion test and was cleared to continue. The incident sparked a flurry of reactions on social media, with fans responding to Starc’s fierce delivery and Pant’s painful blow.