Although the India vs New Zealand Test series is still more than a couple of weeks away, India have perhaps begun their contingency plans in case Rishabh Pant misses the first or both Test matches.
The Asian giants have been handed a huge blow as the mercurial left-handed wicket-keeper batsman is likely to sit out the IND vs NZ 1st Test, commencing on November 19 in Wellington.
Rishabh Pant was initially named in the India A squad for the three multi-day red-ball games against New Zealand A, alongside other Test players such as KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Devdutt Padikkal, and Sai Sudharsan.
He was then ruled out of the first two games, with Kumar Kushagra named as his replacement, due to an injury. Pant sustained a side strain while playing a sweep shot during the Irani Cup a month ago.
Now, it has been learned, as per a report in India Today, that Pant will miss the third India A vs New Zealand A fixture that will start on November 7 in Lincoln.
Will Rishabh Pant play in the India vs New Zealand 1st Test?
Owing to a side injury, Pant has missed all three of the India A vs New Zealand A red-ball matches. While he is recovering, his progress has been slow. There is a high chance that the left-hander would be ruled out of the IND vs NZ 1st Test in Wellington.
“Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the third unofficial Test vs New Zealand A, as a precautionary measure. Although Pant has resumed skill training and is experiencing no pain, there is still no confirmed timeline for his return to competitive cricket,” a BCCI source told news agency PTI.
Jurel has all but sealed his position in the India playing XI for the 1st Test, regardless of Pant’s fitness status. He notched up a century and a fifty in the two-Test series in Sri Lanka, and most recently made 105 in the first innings for India A against New Zealand A in the red-ball multi-day match in Christchurch.
Further, Prasidh Krishna, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, is set to miss the five-match ODI series as he “will need additional time to build up the workload required to be ready for matches,” the BCCI stated.
Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah is expected to feature against New Zealand A in the third red-ball game. He was named in the squad alongside Pant.
Bumrah missed the two-Test series in Sri Lanka, and his last red-ball outing was in November 2022. The last time Bumrah took the field was a month ago in the Asian Games, and he’s been dealing with niggles since the IPL.
When is the India vs New Zealand Test series?
The two-match IND vs NZ Test series will begin on November 19 in Wellington, with the second Test slated to start on November 27 in Christchurch.
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