India vs England: Rishabh Pant told to avoid playing the Manchester Test as a 'specialist batter'
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has voiced his opinion that Rishabh Pant should not feature in the upcoming Test against England solely as a "specialist batter". Shastri is of the opinion that if Pant is not fit to keep wickets, he should skip the Manchester Test entirely. The left-hander suffered a hand injury while attempting to gather a Jasprit Bumrah delivery during England’s first innings in the Lord's Test. After receiving treatment from the physio, Pant left the field and didn’t return to keep. Dhruv Jurel took over the gloves in his absence in the third India vs England Test.
Ravi Shastri skeptical about Rishabh Pant playing in the next India vs England Test solely as a batter
Despite the injury endured in the first innings, Rishabh Pant batted in both innings of the match, notably scoring an important 74 in the first. However, in the final innings, he appeared to be in discomfort. The wicketkeeper batter looked especially in trouble when facing a barrage of yorkers from Jofra Archer, which forced the 27-year-old to repeatedly dig out the deliveries under strain.
Now, as India gears up for the fourth fixture, the Manchester Test, former India head coach, Ravi Shastri has expressed concern over Pant's fitness. The former Indian captain explained that playing Pant as a specialist batter would still require him to field, potentially aggravating his injury. He urged head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill to be cautious in their decision-making.
“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," Shastri said. “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,” he added.
Highlighting the need for a thorough medical evaluation, Shastri said that the team physio must assess Pant carefully to rule out any fracture. If a break is confirmed, Shastri believes Pant should be rested for the Manchester Test and instead aim for a return in the final match of the series. Rishabh Pant has been one of India's top performers in the ongoing India vs England series, having amassed 425 runs at an average of 70.83 across six innings.
“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," Shastri said. "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,” he added.
