NEW DELHI: Ahead of the 2nd Test against New Zealand in Pune, India assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate said Rishabh Pant will be “fine for this Test” and should hopefully keep wickets.
“He was having slight discomfort while running towards the end range of the movement of his knee while running. Fingers crossed he will be fine to keep wickets in the second Test,” said Ryan.
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Pant had taken injections on his knee to bat in the second innings of the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand.
A near fatal car accident in December 2022 and resultant injuries and rehab kept Pant out of the game for over a year-and-a-half, but his gritty comeback has the support of the team management that is handling the wicketkeeper batter’s workload.
Pant was not behind the stumps on the final day despite batting in India’s second innings during his dazzling knock of 99.
Pant didn’t take the field at the onset on Day 3 of the first Test on Friday with a knee injury keeping him indoors.
India captain Rohit Sharma had clarified that Pant had some swelling and the reason for leaving the field was largely precautionary.
However, BCCI’s medical team is confident he will be ready to keep wickets in the second Test in Pune starting Thursday.
“He was in some pain after getting hit on the right knee during New Zealand’s first innings. He was given injections. The limp while running between the wickets came from numbness in the affected region. He just has a bruise now and should be fit in a day or two,” a BCCI source told TOI.
