India have been dealt a major blow in the ongoing fourth Test against England as wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been ruled out. He fractured his toe after the ball hit him while attempting a reverse sweep off Chris Woakes on the opening day of the Test match in Manchester. India will be down to 10 players for the rest of the Test match, with Dhruv Jurel likely to take over the gloves yet again, just like he did in the Lord's Test.
Meanwhile, according to a report in the Indian Express, Ishan Kishan is set to be added to the Test squad as Pant's replacement, who has been advised six weeks' rest to recover from the fracture. Kishan was with the India A squad but didn't get to play a single game as Dhruv Jurel played both four-day matches.
Ishan Kishan last played for India in November 2023
Notably, Kishan last played for India across any format in November 2023 in a T20I against Australia in Guwahati. He has not been part of India's squads across any format after returning from the South Africa tour, citing personal reasons. Having said that, he was in the plans of the selectors, given that he was picked in the India A squad for the England tour recently.
Kishan made his Test debut in 2023
Interestingly, Ishan Kishan made his Test debut back in 2023 on the tour of the West Indies when Rishabh Pant was recovering from the deadly accident that took place in December 2022. In two Test matches so far, Kishan has so far scored 78 runs and was dismissed only once. He also notched up a half-century and his highest score is 52*.
The southpaw also played for Nottinghamshire in June this year, scoring 87 and 77 in two innings and impressed behind the wickets, plucking four catches and affecting one stumping. Even though he will make a comeback to the Test squad for the fifth Test, Kishan is unlikely to get a chance as he will serve as a back up wicketkeeper with Dhruv Jurel being the straightforward choice for the role.
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