India lost to New Zealand by 8 wickets in the Test series opener at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday (October 20). The host were bundled out for 46 in the first innings and did well to make a comeback of sorts into the match but left themselves too much to do in the end. However, other than the defeat, the one thing that would be bothering India the most would be Rishabh Pant's fitness.
It is pertinent to note that Pant skipped his wicketkeeping duties in the fourth innings after his 99-run knock with the bat. Notably, the star India stumper hurt himself while attempting a stumping in the first innings and had to leave the field. Thereafter, he never returned to keep wickets although he batted in an innings where did not look comfortable while running between the wickets.
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Speaking after the match, Rohit did provide an update on Rishabh Pant's fitness but did not confirm whether or not the keeper-batter would play the second Test starting in Pune on October 24.
"He’s had a lot of minor surgeries and one big surgery on his knee and went through a lot of trauma, to be honest, in the last one and a half years. So it’s just about being extra careful, not just careful with him," Rohit said after the match.
Decision On Whether Or Not To Include Rishabh Pant In The Playing 11 For IND vs NZ 2nd Test Rests On Rohit, Gambhir
While there is no official confirmation, an Indian Express report claimed that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee have left the decision on captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir. It will be Rohit and Gambhir who will have to decide whether they want to play Pant in the second match or giving him more time for recovery.
"When you’re keeping, you have to bend every ball with your knee going down and the wicket being what it was, we thought it is the right thing to do for him to stay inside and then get 100 percent ready for the next one," the India skipper said.
"It’s just to be a little careful about where he is at and what he is to us. Even when he was batting, he was not comfortably running. He was trying to only put the ball in the stands," he pointed out.
In case, Pant misses out, it will be Dhruv Jurel who will be keeping wickets.