Rohit Sharma’s Indian team is set to play against Australia in the finals of the ICC World Test Championship at The Oval, starting on Wednesday. Team India will step onto the field without the services of their star keeper/batter Rishabh Pant, who is still recuperating from the lethal car crash last year. Pant has played a key role for his team in many games in the red ball format, be it batting or keeping, he has done it all. Since he is not there in the Indian side who will play the WTC final, seems like it’s a big headache for the team management as to who will take the gloves at The Oval.
The Indian team has two options in the form of KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan where Bharat already showed his skills as a gloveman in their series at home against Australia earlier this year while Kishan on the other hand is yet to play a Test for India. Bharat also received some crucial advice regarding wicketkeeping in England from the one and only MS Dhoni.
The Andhra-based player had a conversation with the former India skipper during the IPL 2023.
“He (talked about) his experiences keeping in England as well as what would work the best for any wicket-keeper,” stated Bharat on ICC.
“It was a very good conversation and there were a lot of insights from that. It’s the awareness – the best example is MS Dhoni, the awareness he has in keeping is outstanding," Bharat added.
“You need intent and passion to be a keeper, because keeping is a thankless job. You keep 90 overs in a Test day and you have to be concentrating ball by ball, so you have to accept the challenges and embrace it and be really passionate about contributing to the team,” said Bharat.