Pant’s return behind the stumps comes as a timely boost for the visitors, who are dealing with a spate of injuries. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has already been ruled out for the remainder of the series, while left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh remains unavailable. Akash will also sit out the Manchester game
Rishabh Pant (Pic: AFP)
India captain Shubman Gill confirmed on Tuesday that Rishabh Pant will return to wicketkeeping duties for the crucial fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, starting July 23.
Pant’s return behind the stumps comes as a timely boost for the visitors, who are dealing with a spate of injuries. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has already been ruled out for the remainder of the series, while left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh remains unavailable. Akash, who appeared to struggle with a hip niggle during the Lord’s Test, will also sit out the Manchester game.
Pant had injured his finger during the third Test and managed to keep for only 35 overs, with Dhruv Jurel taking over the gloves for the remainder of the match. Jurel endured a difficult outing, conceding 25 byes in England’s second innings as India lost a close contest by 22 runs. On Monday, Pant underwent a lengthy two-hour training session and was declared fit to take full responsibility behind the stumps.
"Rishabh Pant will keep wickets in the fourth Test against England in Manchester," Gill said on the eve of the match.
The injury-enforced absences have opened the door for young fast bowler Anshul Kamboj, who has been added to the squad. Gill spoke highly of the Haryana pacer, suggesting that he is in serious contention to make his debut.
"We have seen his skill set. We have the belief that he can win matches for us. Kamboj is close to making his debut tomorrow. You are going to see whether it is him or Prasidh Krishna," he added.
Despite the setbacks, Gill remained optimistic about the team’s ability to perform. “It is never easy when there are injuries. Nitish (Reddy) is missing and Akash is also unavailable for this match. (But) we have good enough players to take 20 wickets,” he said.
The Indian captain also threw his support behind middle-order batter Karun Nair, who has struggled for form throughout the series. Nair has notched scores of 0, 20, 31, 26, 40, and 14 across the first three Tests but retains the faith of the team management.
“We think he is batting well. First match he didn't play at his number. No issues with his batting. Once you are able to get to 50 and get in the zone. We are hopeful that he can turn it around,” Gill said.
England currently lead the five-match series 2–1, making the Manchester Test a must-win clash for India to keep their hopes of a historic series victory alive.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
