Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has suggested that Shubman Gill and co. leave out Rishabh Pant from the playing XI for the IND vs ENG 4th Test. The southpaw sustained an injury to a finger on his left hand while keeping during the IND vs ENG 3rd Test at Lord’s. As a result, Dhruv Jurel kept wickets in place of Pant for the remainder of the game, while the latter struggled to bat owing to discomfort in his hand.
Shastri reckons Pant should stay out of IND vs ENG 4th Test
Speaking to Sanjana Ganesan on ICC Review, Shastri claimed that Pant should be rested for the 4th Test in Manchester and should instead return in the 5th Test after being fully fit. Shastri pointed out that India would have to wait and see if the vice-captain had suffered a break or a fracture before taking a call on his inclusion for the Manchester Test. The former Indian coach said that now that England knew that Pant was injured, there wasn’t any chance for India to get a substitute in the form of Jurel.
“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,” Shastri said.
The former Indian coach warned that getting Pant to field in the IND vs ENG 4th Test could turn out to be disastorous if he gets hit on the same injured portion once again. The ex-India coach opined that it won’t make any sense to make the southpaw play as a pure batter if he isn’t fit to keep wickets.
“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,” Shastri added.
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