India’s vice-captain Rishabh Pant gave a huge boost to the team’s preparations for the fourth Test against England by resuming wicketkeeping drills during the training session at Old Trafford on Monday. It is the clearest sign yet that the 27-year-old could return behind the stumps for an important game in Manchester, starting July 23.
Pant, who had suffered a finger injury during the third Test at Lord’s, looked active and focused as he trained under the supervision of fielding coach T Dilip. His injury occurred during England’s first innings at Lord’s when he took a blow to his left index finger.
He left the field and did not return to keep for the remainder of the match with Dhruv Jurel taking over the gloves. Despite the discomfort, Rishabh Pant batted brilliantly and scored 74 runs in the first innings.
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Rishabh Pant Shows Signs of Recovery as He Gets Back Behind the Stumps in Old Trafford Training Session
The blow raised concerns over Pant’s availability for the remainder of the series. While the injury did not seem major at the time, the finger was visibly swollen and India’s medical staff chose to take a cautious approach.
For most of the days that followed, Pant limited himself to batting drills. As a result, there were growing expectations that he might play the Manchester Test only as a pure batter with Jurel continuing as the keeper.
On Monday, those doubts were eased when Pant was seen donning the gloves and undergoing basic wicketkeeping drills at Old Trafford. The drills were not intense but they were enough to suggest that the team is testing the waters ahead of a full return to the keeping role.
Pant showed no obvious discomfort during the session. The Indian team, too, looked visibly relieved as their vice-captain went about his business with purpose.
Though there has been no official word yet on whether he will keep wickets in the fourth Test, this training session is a positive sign for India. The final decision is likely to depend on how Pant feels after one more round of practice on the eve of the match.
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India’s Injury Woes Continue Ahead of 4th Test
India continue to grapple with a growing injury list. The most recent setback came when young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was ruled out of the rest of the series due to a knee injury. His absence may open the door for Karun Nair to get another shot, especially as he was part of the slip-catching group in training alongside Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan on Monday.
Arshdeep Singh has also been ruled out of the Manchester Test due to an injury. Pacer Akash Deep, who impressed at Edgbaston, has been dealing with a groin niggle and is likely to be rested in Manchester.
To cope with the injury crisis, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has added Anshul Kamboj to the squad. As per reports, Kamboj is set to make his Test debut at Old Trafford.
India are weighing its options carefully as they currently trail 2-1 in the series.
Also read: IND vs ENG: Sai Sudharsan was my no. 3; Sanjay Manjrekar backs youngster over Karun Nair
