India faces a fitness concern with Rishabh Pant ahead of the second Test against New Zealand due to a knee injury. With the Border-Gavaskar series approaching, resting him could be a prudent decision. Dhruv Jurel is on standby for wicketkeeping duties.
Rishabh Pant’s Fitness Concerns
India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is in doubt for the second Test against New Zealand following a knee injury sustained during the first Test in Bengaluru.
Pant, who suffered the injury while fielding, was rested on Day 3 but returned to bat in the second innings, scoring a valiant 99.
However, he skipped wicket keeping duties, raising concerns about his availability for the upcoming match.
India captain Rohit Sharma acknowledged the need to be “extra careful” with Pant.
India captain Rohit Sharma, on Sunday, speaking to the media in the post-match conference, admitted that the management would have to be ‘extra careful’ with Pant, given that he incurred an injury on the same knee where he underwent an operation in 2023 following a car crash.
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“He’s had a lot of minor surgeries and one big surgery on his knee and went through a lot of trauma, to be honest, in the last one and a half years. So it’s just about being extra careful, not just careful with him,” Rohit said.
While Rohit did not specify if Pant would be fit enough for keeping duties in the Pune Test against New Zealand, The Indian Express reported that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee have left the decision to head coach Gautam Gambhir and the captain to take a call on Pant’s inclusion.
“When you’re keeping, you have to bend every ball with your knee going down and the wicket being what it was, we thought it is the right thing to do for him to stay inside and then get 100 percent ready for the next one,” Rohit added.
“It’s just to be a little careful about where he is at and what he is to us. Even when he was batting, he was not comfortably running. He was trying to only put the ball in the stands.”
Jurel on Standby for Wicket Keeping Duties
With Pant’s fitness in question, Dhruv Jurel is set to make his return to the India XI. Jurel impressed both selectors and fans with his performance on debut against England earlier this year, showcasing reliable wicketkeeping and solid batting.
The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has left the decision to head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma to determine whether Pant will be fit enough to play.
Given his importance for future tours, resting Pant for the second Test could be a wise move.
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