Team India have been hit with a major injury scare ahead of their Super Four encounter against Pakistan on Sunday. There are dark clouds over Axar Patel's participation in the encounter after the all-rounder hurt his head during the final group stage match against Oman in Abu Dhabi, which the Men In Blue won by 21 runs.
The incident took place in the 15th over of Oman's chase as Axar committed himself to a catch but ended up hurting himself, which forced him to leave the field. Axar ran around from mid-off to intercept a skier from Hammad Mirza, and juggled the chance before putting it down. However, in the process he lost his balance and hit his head against the turf.
The impact was such that the physio immediately arrived at the scene, as Axar stood up but was seen clutching his head and the side of his neck. He then left the field with the physio and didn't participate further in the match.
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Axar conceded four runs in the only over he bowled one over in the innings. Earlier, Axar also got a chance to flex his shot-making abilities walking in at No. 5. He struck a 13-ball 26, and stitched a brisk 45-run stand for the fourth wicket with Sanju Samson, who scored 56. India posted 188/8 after winning the toss and opting to bat.
Meanwhile, India's fielding coach T Dilip suggested that Axar was "fine" at the post-match press conference.
However, the short gaps between matches could come as a major concern for the management, as India are now scheduled to play Pakistan in less than 48 hours.
If Axar is ruled out of the Pakistan match, India may have to shift from their three-spinner combination, which has proven to be very effective in Dubai. Varun Chakravarthy, who was rested for the Oman match, and Kuldeep Yadav are the two specialist spinners in the squad.
If required India can summon anyone between Riyan Parag and Washington Sundar, who are part of the reserves as a like-for-like replacement for Axar.
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