Rishabh Pant's Injury Concerns as India Faces England in Test Match
Injury Scare for Rishabh Pant
London [UK], July 10: Rishabh Pant, India's dynamic wicketkeeper-batter, had to leave the field for treatment after appearing to injure his finger while keeping wickets. Dhruv Jurel has stepped in to take over the wicketkeeping responsibilities.
During the 34th over bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, Pant attempted a dive to catch the ball but failed to secure it, allowing England to score two runs off byes. He was later seen in considerable discomfort and required medical assistance, according to reports from Sky Sports.
If Pant's injury is serious, it would be a significant setback for the Indian team, as he is a key player, ranking as their second-highest run-scorer in the series with 342 runs across four innings, averaging 85.50, including two centuries and a fifty. Notably, he achieved two centuries at Leeds, with a top score of 134. Pant has also set multiple records as a wicketkeeper-batter, surpassing MS Dhoni for the most Test centuries by an Indian keeper and holding the highest run tally by an Asian wicketkeeper in SENA countries.
Dhruv Jurel, who has played four Tests, has accumulated 202 runs in six innings at an average of 40.40, with a best score of 90, which he achieved during his debut series against England last year. Despite his impressive performances for India A in various tours, he has yet to make an appearance in the playing eleven on this tour.
The second session of the first day is currently underway, with England having crossed the 100-run mark, and Joe Root along with Ollie Pope at the crease.
At the conclusion of the first session, England was at 83/2, with Joe Root (24*) and Ollie Pope (12*) not out, having built a 39-run partnership.
After winning the toss, England chose to bat first. Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were cautious against the aggressive bowling of Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep, who troubled them several times on a pitch that had some grass but lacked consistent carry initially.
After scoring just 15 runs in the first seven overs, Crawley broke the silence in the eighth over against Akash, hitting three boundaries, including one through the covers and another that edged over the slip cordon.
By the end of 13 overs, England had reached 35/0, with Duckett (19*) and Crawley (18*) still at the crease, having navigated the first hour without losing a wicket despite some challenging bowling.
All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was introduced into the attack right after the drinks break, and his inclusion proved effective as he managed to dismiss both Duckett and Crawley, with Pant taking the catches. Duckett was out for 23 runs off 40 balls, while Crawley scored 18 runs off 43 balls, leaving England in a precarious position at 44/2.
Duckett was dismissed while attempting a pull shot, and Crawley’s edge went through to Pant.
Joe Root joined Ollie Pope, and with two boundaries in Mohammed Siraj’s 18th over, Root helped England reach the 50-run mark in 16.4 overs. With a flick through mid-wicket and a drive through covers, Root signaled his intent to score big and rectify his performance from the last two matches.
Root and Pope ensured that England finished the session without further losses.
Brief Scores: England: 83/2 (Joe Root 24, Ben Duckett 23, Nitish Kumar Reddy 2/15) vs India.