Mayank Agarwal ruled out of first Test vs England after sustaining concussion

India’s opening batsman Mayank Agarwal was ruled out of the first Test against England on Monday after sustaining concussion, reports PTI. He was hit by a short ball from teammate Mohammed Siraj during a training session in Nottingham. The first Test match will start on Wednesday.

Agarwal was facing Siraj, who is fastest bowler in the current Indian line-up. He saw the ball thudding into his helmet when he took his eyes off a short delivery. 

Also Read| India’s tour of England, 5-match Test series: All you need to know

“Opening batsman Mayank Agarwal was hit on the helmet while batting during India’s nets session at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Monday,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah was quoted as saying in a media release.

“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,” Shah added.

Also Read| Kohli’s form to Stokes’ break: Talking points for India’s tour of England

Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane said  Mayank Agarwal got hit on the head and all others are fit.

After being hit by Siraj’s delivery, Agarwal was seen in some discomfort as he removed the helmet and sat on the ground with physio Nitin Patel attending to him.

He was then seen pressing the back of his head while leaving the nets, escorted by Patel.

Also Read | Learnt from my mistakes: Rishabh Pant ahead of first India-England Test

KL Rahul, who has mostly opened in Test matches but prefers a middle-order slot these days, could be asked to face the new ball first up in the absence of Agarwal.

The other option is Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran.

A left field selection could be Hanuma Vihari, opening the innings, like he did in Australia.

In case Vihari opens and bowls his off-spin, seamer all-rounder Shardul Thakur could also be considered for selection.