Pant set to play 4th Test despite suffering what appeared to be a pretty nasty finger injury while keeping wicket.
Rishabh Pant ‘should be fine’ to play fourth Test, says Shubman Gill.
India skipper Shubman Gill stated that Rishabh Pant “should be fine” in time for the fourth Test match against England at Old Trafford on July 23 after scans showed “no major injury” to his left index finger.
In the 34th over of England’s first innings in the Lord’s Test, he was hit on the index finger of his left hand while trying to catch a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah down the leg side. Play was halted for a long time since he was in a lot of discomfort and required physiotherapy. Despite finishing that over, he was unable to hold onto the wicket and was substituted for the remainder of the Test by Dhruv Jurel behind the stumps.
However, in both of India’s innings at Lord’s, Pant batted at number five. In the first innings, he scored 74 runs off 112 balls, and in the second, he scored 9 runs off 12 balls. But during both innings, he had some discomfort from the injury and had to remove his damaged lower hand from the bat as he made contact with the ball.
This was particularly noticeable on the last day when India was chasing 193 and Pant came out to bat with six wickets remaining and India needing another 135 to win. He regularly released his bottom hand from the bat handle because he was uncomfortable with Jofra Archer’s speed.
While attempting to defend, Pant lost his off stump to Archer, making him the first wicket to fall on day five. India thereafter failed to reach the mark by 22 runs, losing the five-Test series 2-1.
Pant will need to be totally fit for the upcoming Test match at Old Trafford because it is unlikely that he will be permitted to use a keeping substitute for the same injury.