Rishabh Pant continues his recovery from a side strain at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru and is reportedly set to miss the third and final unofficial Test between India A and New Zealand, beginning on Saturday. His ongoing rehabilitation has also raised concerns about his availability for India’s upcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand, according to a report by ESPNcricinfo.
The first Test is scheduled to begin on November 19, leaving the Indian team management with limited time to assess Pant’s fitness. While Pant’s participation remains uncertain, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja are expected to feature for India A in the final unofficial Test. Tilak Varma has also joined the squad in Lincoln as Pant’s replacement.
Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel will continue to lead the India A side, which also includes seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. Reddy was recently part of India’s ODI squad but did not feature in the rain-affected series opener against New Zealand.
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If Rishabh Pant fails to recover in time for the Test series, Jurel is likely to take responsibility behind the stumps.
Rishabh Pant continues to recover from a side strain, casting doubt over his availability for the two-Test series against New Zealand.
Among the Test specialists, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja are both set to feature in the match as part of their preparation for the Tests, while T20I vice-captain Tilak Varma has joined the India A squad as a replacement for Pant.
More details: https://t.co/55HmirsbZN
— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) November 5, 2026
Meanwhile, fast bowler Prasidh Krishna is expected to feature in Saturday’s fixture as he looks to regain match fitness following a hamstring strain. He has completed three weeks of rehabilitation and received clearance to play across formats. However, the selectors left him out of the ODI squad to prioritise his preparation for the upcoming Test assignments.
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Mohammed Siraj, meanwhile, has joined India’s ODI squad in Wellington ahead of Saturday’s second match against New Zealand. He missed the series opener after featuring in the drawn second unofficial Test against New Zealand A at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Siraj bowled 35 overs in his only innings during that match, conceding 118 runs and picking up four wickets. His return provides another experienced pace-bowling option for India as the ODI series progresses.
