Rishabh Pant injured his right foot on Day 1 of the fourth Test against England in Manchester. The player had to leave the field on a medical cart and as things stand, he is very likely to be out for at least six weeks. Reports claim that the keeper-batter might have suffered a fracture, but BCCI is yet to release a statement on the nature of the injury. He was expected not to play any role after the injury, but interestingly, he came out to bat on Day 2 after Shardul Thakur’s dismissal.
Pant added 17 to his already 37 as he made 54 runs. India made 358 runs in the first innings. Meanwhile, despite batting, the 27-year-old is not keeping wickets. BCCI has already confirmed the development, stating that Dhruv Jurel will be behind the stumps. It is only to protect Pant from any further injuries.
“ Rishabh Pant, who sustained an injury to his right foot on Day 1 of the Manchester Test, will not be performing wicket-keeping duties for the remainder of the match. Dhruv Jurel will assume the role of wicket-keeper,” BCCI confirmed via an official statement.
Jagadeeshan to replace Pant
As things stand, Tamil Nadu keeper-batter Narayan Jagadeeshan is set to replace Pant in the squad for the fifth Test. The selectors initially reached out to Ishan Kishan, but the Patna-born is currently dealing with an injury. He had an accident and for the same reason, is not available for action at the moment.
The selectors then reached out to Jagadeeshan, and he is very likely to be called up for the fifth Test. A lot more is expected to come out to light after the completion of the fourth Test and how Pant feels. Nevertheless, the Haridwar-born is expected to miss at least six weeks of action, owing to the injury on his right foot.