India wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant should not be playing next week’s Manchester Test with a lingering injury, said former head coach Ravi Shastri. Pant copped a blow on his index finger while wicket-keeping in England’s first innings at Lord’s last week.
The delivery from Jasprit Bumrah hit Pant’s left index finger as he was attempting to collect the ball down the leg side. Wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel substituted as the keeper for Pant, who was visibly in discomfort due to the hit. Pant, however, batted in both innings during India’s 22-run defeat, scoring 74 and nine at No. 5. While India have moved to Beckenham for preparations after finding themselves 1-2 down in the series, assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate on Thursday hinted that Pant could play the forthcoming Test as a specialist batter.
“He will bat in Manchester before the Test. I don’t think you’re gonna keep Rishabh out of the Test no matter what. He batted with quite a lot of pain in the 3rd Test, and it’s only going to get easier on his finger,” ten Doeschate said.
“Keeping is the last part of the process. We need to make sure that he can keep — we don’t want to go through that again where we have to replace the keeper halfway through an innings,” he added.
However, Shastri said he would opt against such a move and said it could only worsen the injury situation.
“I don’t think he should go in as a specialist batter if he can’t keep because he will have to field. If he fields, that will be worse. With the gloves at least there is some protection. Without gloves, if he gets something that stings in there, then it won’t be very good. It’ll only worsen the injury,” Shastri said on the ICC review podcast.
Shastri also added that the management must assess the extent of the injury before deciding on a move to include Pant in the XI.
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“You’ve got to see if it is a break. If it is a break or a fracture, then he rather rests it and comes fully fit at The Oval. He won’t get a substitute now. Now they’ll know that he has been injured. When you pick the team for the next Test, he’ll have to keep and he’ll have to bat. He can’t do one of the two. It’s if it is fully fit. If it is not a crack, I think he’ll play,” Shastri added.
In-form batter
Pant has been among India’s most successful batters on the tour, scoring 425 at an average of 70.83 in six innings. ten Doeschat affirmed that India are aiming to giving Pant as much time as possible to recover.
“But he rested today, was trying to give the finger as long as possible, and hopefully, he’s good to go in Manchester in the first session. He is in the equation, but I mean if he’s fit, he plays the next Test and does both,” ten Doeschate added.
