India vs Australia, 2nd Test: Visitors one bowler down as Umesh Yadav limps off the field

India’s fast bowler Umesh Yadav limped off the field on Day three of the ongoing second Test in Melbourne on Monday.
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India’s fast bowler Umesh Yadav limped off the field on Day three of the ongoing second Test in Melbourne on Monday.

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India’s fast bowler Umesh Yadav limped off the field on Day three of the ongoing second Test in Melbourne on Monday.

India's fast bowler Umesh Yadav limped off the field on Day three of the ongoing second Test in Melbourne on Monday.

Bowling his second over of Australia's second innings, Yadav dismissed struggling Aussie opener Joe Borns with an excellent ball for just four runs. While bowling his fourth over, which was Australia's eighth, Yadav suffered a knee injury. In the middle of his spell, Yadav looked to be in pain and called for immediate attention. A few minutes later, India's senior pacer hobbled off the field. Debutant Mohammed Siraj, who picked three wickets earlier in the Test, completed the eighth over.

India are already without the duo of Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami. While Ishant did not fly to Australia because of an injury, Shami fractured his wrist in the first Test at the Adelaide Oval and has been sidelined for at least six weeks. The touring party's decision to play five bowlers in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will come in handy as India still has Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja as their frontline bowling options if Yadav is unable to return.

A further update on Yadav's injury is still awaited. Even though Yadav went wicket-less in the first innings, he gave away only 39 runs in his quota of 12 overs. In the first Test, Yadav had picked up three wickets.

After bowling Australia out for 195, India to take a lead of 131 runs as the tourists were cleaned up for 365 on Day three. India's stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane led from the front as he top-scored with 112 off 223 balls. He built a crucial 121-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja before Rahane was runout in a controversial way. It was a close call but Rahane's bat did appear to be on the line when the replays were shown.

Angry Indian cricket fans, on social media, compared Rahane's run out with the close of Tim Paine in the Australian innings and asked why the Indian captain wasn't given the benefit of doubt like his Australian counterpart.

The fact the third umpire did not ask for another angle like he had done in case of Paine in the first innings before giving ruling him not out triggered the outrage on Twitter.

The incident took place in the 100th over, when Jadeja pushed a ball to cover and took off in a hurry to finish his half-century, leaving Rahane short of ground and run out at striker's end. Instead of being enraged, Rahane walked to Jadeja, tapped him on the shoulder, and told him to have a solid innings ahead. This gesture from Rahane immediately caught attention on social media and was lauded for his sportsmanship.

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