Ind A vs Aus A: Pucovski will not play second practice match, confirms team doctor

SYDNEY: Will Pucovski, who was hit on the helmet on the final day of the three-day warm-up game between India A and Australia A, will miss the second practice match, confirmed Medical Team doctor John Orchard on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old was hit on the helmet by a delivery bowled by Kartik Tyagi and the right-handed batsman immediately went down, cricket.com.au reported.

Pucovski is seen as a potential Test opening batsman in the upcoming four-match series against India, but him being ruled out of the second practice game has piled up the misery for Australia as David Warner too is injured and is most likely to miss the opening pink ball match which gets underway on December 17.

As per cricket.com.au, after being hit flush on the helmet, Pucovski had fallen to his knees and he stayed down at the crease for almost a minute and the Team doctor has now confirmed that the batsman will not travel to Adelaide on Wednesday.

"Will experienced mild concussion symptoms but was able to leave the field unassisted. He was monitored in our medical room and was communicating freely with staff and teammates as well as family over the phone," cricket.com.qu quoted team doctor Orchard as saying in a statement.

"We will continue to monitor Will over the coming days and provide an update on his condition in due course. Will will remain with Australia A squad but will not play in the three-day tour match against India at the SCG," he added.

Coming to the match, it was again worrying signs at the top as the India A batsmen failed to stick it out at the crease during the second innings of the match at the Drummoyne Oval.

While the game ended in a draw, at one stage it looked like the Australia A unit would walk away with a win. But it was Wriddhiman Saha who showed some fight and managed to keep the host bowlers at bay.

While the Ajinkya Rahane-led side declared their second innings at 189/9 -- setting Australia A a target of 131 in about 15 overs -- no batsman got going in the second innings and at one stage, the side was looking down the barrel at 143/9.

But in the end, Saha managed to salvage some pride as he played an unbeaten knock of 54 runs.

Australia A lost the wicket of Joe Burns (0) in the very first over of the innings and after that, the side looked to play out the remaining overs. In the end, the three-day match ended in a draw.

The second practice match between the two sides gets underway on Friday.