Former India head coach Ravi Shastri opined on talented wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s injury before the fourth Test against England as well. However, India are playing against England in a five-match Test series. The fourth game begins on Wednesday, July 23, at Old Trafford, Manchester.
However, Rishabh Pant suffered a finger injury during the third Test. Dhruv Jurel replaced him as a substitute wicketkeeper as well.
Talking on the ICC Review Podcast, Ravi Shastri said, “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.”
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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. There’s still about eight to nine days so it should be okay,” Shastri further added.
Meanwhile, Team India’s assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate shared his views on Rishabh Pant’s injury and his chances of playing the fourth Test. In a press conference, Ten Doeschate revealed that they would not like to keep Pant out.
“He will bat in Manchester before the Test. I don’t think you want to keep Rishabh out of the Test, no matter what. He batted with quite a lot of pain in the third Test and it’s only going to get easier and easier on his finger. Keeping is obviously the last part of the process to make sure he can keep. We don’t want to go through that again, where we have to replace the keeper halfway through an innings. He rested today, hopefully, he is good to go in Manchester,” he said.
