Mayank Agarwal ruled out of first Test against England due to concussion after being hit on the head during net session
"Agarwal has shown signs of concussion and is ruled out of the opening Test against England. The 30-year-old is stable and will remain under close medical observation," the BCCI statement said.
India's opening batsman Mayank Agarwal was ruled out of the first Test match against England, starting at Trent Bridge from August 4, after being hit on the head while batting in the nets. An official BCCI statement said that Agarwal was stable but has been ruled out as he showed 'signs of concussion'.
"Opening batsman Mayank Agarwal was hit on the helmet while batting during India’s nets session at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Monday. The BCCI Medical Team assessed him, and a concussion test was conducted. He has shown signs of concussion and is ruled out of the opening Test against England. The 30-year-old is stable and will remain under close medical observation," the BCCI statement said.
News agency PTI reported that Agarwal was hit on the back of his head by a short ball from teammate Mohammed Siraj during a training session ahead of the first Test against England on Wednesday.
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While facing Siraj, possibly the fastest in the current Indian line-up, Agarwal was apparently hit on the back of his head when he took his eyes off a short ball and took a blow on his helmet.
He was in some discomfort after opening the helmet as he sat on the ground with physio Nitin Patel attending him.
He was then seen pressing the back of his head while leaving the nets escorted by Patel.
In case he is unable to play, KL Rahul, who has mostly opened in Test matches but prefers a middle-order slot these days, could be asked to open. The other option is Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran.
(With PTI inputs)