India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has confirmed Rishabh Pant’s availability to bat if needed on Day 5 of the fourth Test against England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Old Trafford in Manchester.
“I think he will bat,” Kotak said after the end of Day 4 on Saturday.
Pant fractured his toe while attempting a reverse sweep on Day 1, which led to him having to retire hurt. He then remarkably continued his innings while batting almost on one foot and scored 54 in 75 balls, but Dhruv Jurel is keeping wickets.
Pant has been advised six weeks of rest and was expected to not travel to the ground on Day 2. However, Pant was eventually spotted in the dressing room in full gear and he then hobbled out after Shardul Thakur was dismissed shortly before Lunch.
The batting coach also praise the valiant efforts of skipper Shubman Gill and opener KL Rahul as the duo have added 174 runs for the third wicket, trying to save the Test. Earlier, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan were dismissed in two consecutive deliveries off Chris Woakes in the first over.
“A five day wicket will have wear and tear but it is playing fine, barring the odd ball turning. They batted with a lot of belief and determination. It is tough when you lose two early wickets. But I think at lunchtime also, they had that belief that we will take some time, see first 10-15 overs and then take it from there. So, absolutely brilliant the way they batted,” Kotak added.
Kotak added that a shift in mindset has helped Gill score a lot more freely in England “See, from Australia series to this series, I have also seen his thought process and the way he batted. It is little different than what he has done in Australia. We discussed, but I would give a lot of credit to him for deciding on that wicket, what he wants to play, when he wants to play. And I think he successfully played certain shots and successfully avoided playing certain shots,” said Kotak.
