Melbourne: India captain Rohit Sharma sustained a blow to his left knee, while Akash Deep hurt his hand at nets but the pacer allayed any injury concerns ahead of the fourth Test, starting here from December 26.
Both players were struck while facing throwdowns in the outdoor practice arena at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and were seen in some discomfort, presenting the touring party with a double injury scare four days ahead of the Boxing Day Test.
After copping a blow to his left knee, Rohit continued to bat but later received treatment from a physiotherapist. He sat for some time with his leg stretched on a chair, icing the knee, before walking off gingerly.
While there has been no official update on his condition, Akash, who got hit on his hand, said both were routine net injuries.
“Such blows are common when you play cricket. I think this (practice pitch) wicket was for white ball which is why the ball kept low at times.
“But these blows are common in training. There are no major concerns because of that,” Akash said in a press conference.
The 37-year-old Rohit, who missed the series opener at Perth to spend time with his newborn son, has struggled with form.
Batting down the order rather than opening at Adelaide and Brisbane, Rohit has managed scores of 3, 6, 10.
On Saturday, opener KL Rahul also had a blow on his hand while batting at the nets.
The series is locked in at 1-1 after three Tests.
