The team will of course be wary of taking risks with Pant’s knee because of the serious knee injuries he sustained in a car crash in December 2022. While he did come back to bat in India’s second innings in Bengaluru, hitting 99 off 105 balls, he showed signs of discomfort while running between the wickets. After India had lost that Test, captain Rohit had called for an “extra careful” approach with respect to Pant’s injury. During India’s first practice session in Pune on Tuesday, it was Jurel who was the first to undergo keeping drills with Pant watching from the sidelines.
