Rishabh Pant, India’s dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman, stepped out of the dressing room on Friday for an unscheduled net session, determined to assess the condition of his injured left index finger. After a tough Thursday, Pant ended up hurting himself for good while wicketkeeping. This injury would in the end have him forced to drop out of contention for this match.
Arriving at the boundary with bat in hand, Pant aimed to gauge whether his finger could withstand his aggressive batting style. He endured a hundred consecutive balls from pacemen Chris Woakes and Shoaib Bashir, aiming to rebuild faith in his talent. Though obviously in great pain, Pant showed bright character throughout the session.
Shortly after lunch on Thursday, Pant felt awkwardly attempting to take a catch. He was unable to go back to guard India’s middle order in the Test match against Britain that’s right now underway. His absence left a notable gap as Dhruv Jurel took over the wicketkeeping duties, successfully completing three catches during his debut.
In the second net session, one of Pant’s first deliveries from pacer Brydon Carse saw him earn a leg bye. He then came back out to the crease to face Bashir. He showcased his talent by hitting three boundaries off Bashir, indicating that while he may be in pain, his batting prowess remains intact.
Pant’s form has been frightening in the last few months! Khawaja scored centuries in consecutive matches during the first Test and quickly followed with a commanding 65 on the second Test. On the field, he is often found in the clean up role, [753] batting fifth in the order. In his last innings before taking a break for mental health, he clubbed 19 off 33 deliveries.
The threat posed by the injury to Pant should worry the Indian side. Strongly motivated to defend their competitive advantage versus England at Lord’s. His aggressive batting style is a winning premise basta for the team. Going forward, all eyes (including those of potential employers) will be focused on his ability to come back from injury.
