'Nasty': Indian batter Shreyas Iyer injures himself taking spectacular catch

Indian batter Shreyas Iyer has injured himself taking a superb catch during their ODI clash with Australia.

Aussie keeper Alex Carey skied a ball off Harshit Rana, with Iyer juggling a diving effort to send him packing.

However in the process of completing the catch, the 30-year-old landed hard on his ribs and elbow.

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Scans later revaled Iyer suffered a lacerated spleen.

"Wow, what a catch there. He might have hurt himself," Fox Cricket commentator Brendon Julian said.

"He looks very uncomfortable. Hopefully he's OK and can bat later on."

Ex Aussie cricketer Mark Waugh was particularly impressed with the effort while watching the replay.

"Painful. But it's a brilliant catch," Mark Waugh said.

"He's fallen hard. He's juggled that."

Iyer came from the field with the help of a trainer following the incident. He didn't return during the first innings.

"He's fallen very heavily. I think his elbow might have ricocheted back into his rib cage when he hit the ground," Waugh added.

"Hopefully he's going to be OK to bat. A very heavy tumble, that one.

"Even the left shoulder could have easily been dislocated."

Former Australian opener David Warner pointed out that Iyer has had shoulder problems before.

"That looked nasty. Maybe he's hurt the shoulder, not the hip."

The catch changed the trajectory of the first innings. Australia were flying along at 3/183 before the wicket, but tumbled to 7/201 as the Indian spinners took control of the innings.

Matt Renshaw was dismissed for a 58-ball 56 shortly after, before Mitchell Owen and Mitchell Starc went cheaply.

India would bowl Australia out for just 236 in the end.

"It was a missed opportunity for Australia and a superb performance from India in the field," Adam Gilchrist said.