Former India stumpers Nayan Mongia and Chandrakant Pandit believe if wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh has not fully recovered from his index finger injury, he should skip the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester, rather than risk further damage by playing as a pure batter
India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant during a training session at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Monday. Pic/Getty Images
India's vice-captain and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is known to be a match-winner due to his attacking batting style. However, Pant (425 runs), who is India’s second-highest run-getter in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy (after skipper Shubman Gill, 607), suffered an injury to his index finger in the first innings of the Lord’s Test and the wicketkeeping duties for the remainder of the match were handed to Dhruv Jurel.
Two days ahead of the fourth Test, starting at Manchester on Wednesday, there is uncertainty about whether Pant should play in the team as a specialist batter in case he cannot perform as a wicketkeeper.
Nayan Mongia and Chandrakant Pandit
Former India wicketkeeper-batters Nayan Mongia and Chandrakant Pandit believe Team India will be taking a risk if they decide to play Pant only as a batter.
“If Pant is fit to bat and keep wickets, then it’s good for India, but if he is injured, it will be a risk to play him as a batsman, because if he gets hurt again, it will be difficult to find a replacement. Also, we have Dhruv Jurel, who is a good wicketkeeper-batter too,” Mongia told mid-day from Baroda.
Mongia, 55, who represented the country in 44 Tests and 140 ODIs between 1994 and 2001, admitted that if Pant won’t play the fourth Test with India prevailing 1-2, it will be a huge blow to the visitors. “I don’t know how badly Pant is injured, but if he doesn’t play, it will be a big loss to India because he can change the complexion of the game. He’s in great form,” added Mongia.
Kolkata Knight Riders’s head coach Pandit, 63, who has five Tests and 36 ODIs under his belt, echoed the similar feelings.
“We know that Pant is a good player, but I don’t think we need to be desperate [to include him in the playing XI] if he is not 100 per cent fit. Only if he has fully recovered from his injury should he play as wicketkeeper-batter, else we have an option in Jurel who can contribute as a batsman too,” said Pandit, who made his Test debut in 1986 against England at Leeds, as a pure batter while Kiran More was the wicketkeeper.
Pant’s absence will alter the team combination too, felt Pandit. “If Pant plays as a pure batter, it still leaves you wondering who will keep wickets, Jurel or maybe KL Rahul [who has kept for India in white-ball matches before]. This will disturb the team’s combination. Also, if Rahul is asked to keep, that will be additional pressure for him since he also opens the innings. So, I feel, to correct something, we should not make another mistake,” added Pandit.
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