Team India is gearing up for the fourth Test against England which is scheduled to get underway from July 23 at Old Trafford in Manchester. Shubman Gill's brigade has arrived in Manchester to prepare for the do-or-die showdown. Following their defeat in the Lord's Test, India find itself in a precarious position in the five-match series and cannot afford to lose any of the remaining matches. Adding to their concerns is the uncertainty surrounding the participation of vice-captain Rishabh Pant, who is currently nursing a finger injury.
Will Dhruv Jurel feature in Manchester Test?
Pant sustained the injury to his finger while wicket-keeping during the first innings of the Lord's Test. He subsequently left the field and did not resume his duties behind the stumps. Although he did bat in both innings and even scored a half-century, Dhruv Jurel took over the wicket-keeping responsibilities. The injury sustained in the Lord's Test has cast doubts on Pant's availability for the pivotal fourth Test. Recent reports indicate that Jurel has been actively engaged in intensive training sessions with the fielding coach, T Dilip. A video of one such session was shared by ESPN Cricinfo, further fueling speculation about Pant's fitness for the must-win game in Manchester later this week.
Dhruv Jurel has served as India's backup wicket-keeper batter since his Test debut against England at home last year. He possesses a sound and fluent batting technique, allowing him to both defend and attack effectively, giving his batting a composed and reliable look.
However, there seems to be a more optimistic outlook regarding Pant's fitness from within the Indian camp. According to assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschcate, Pant is expected to recover in time to take his place behind the stumps. Speaking to reporters in Beckenham following India's initial practice session on Thursday, Doeschate indicated that Pant will participate in batting practice before the match. He also mentioned that the team management is taking a cautious approach to managing his finger injury.
“He will bat in Manchester before the Test. I don’t think you’re going to keep Rishabh out of the Test no matter what. He batted with quite a lot of pain in the third Test, and it’s only going to get easier on his finger. Keeping is the last part of the process. We need to make sure that he can keep—we don’t want to go through that again where we have to replace the keeper halfway through an inning," Ten Doeschate told reporters.
It will be interesting to see whether Jurel becomes the part of India's playing XI in the fourth Test or not. But if Pant's injury persists, Jurel can be seen assuming wicketkeeping duties with former playing solely as a batter.