Former India head coach Ravi Shastri feels that Rishabh Pant shouldn't play as a 'specialist batter' in the fourth Test against England if he isn't fit enough to kkeep the stumps. This comes after the wicketkeeper-batter had injured his left index finger while trying to collect a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah in the third Test.
Jurel kept the wickets for India in third Test
The physio soon came to the field and Pant was taken off with Dhruv Jurel keeping the wickets in the former's place as a substitute. However, Pant looked to be in pain while batting in India's second innings. He wasn't able to play a big knock and got dismissed by Jofra Archer for just 9 runs as the Men in Blue failed to chase down the target of 193 and got bundled out for just 170, losing the match by 22 runs and going behind the hosts in the series by 2-1.
Ahead of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Shastri believes that Pant shouldn't play as a specialist batter as he would then have to field and that would increase the chances of him sustaining a serious injury.
“I don’t think he should go in as a specialist batter if he can’t keep because he will have to field. If he fields, that will be worse," Shastri said on ICC Review.
“With the gloves, at least there is some protection. Without gloves, if he gets something that stings in there, then it won’t be very good. It’ll only worsen the injury,” he added.
Shastri further stated that the physio needs to properly assess Pant's injury and also needs to determine if his finger has been broken or if he has sustained a fracture. He reckons that the 27-year-old should be rested for the fourth Test if his finger is broken and should make a return in the fifth match at the Oval.
“You’ve got to see if it is a break. If it is a break or a fracture, then he rather rests it and comes fully fit at The Oval. He won’t get a substitute now. Now they’ll know that he has been injured," Shastri stated.
"When you pick the team for the next Test, he’ll have to keep and he’ll have to bat. He can’t do one of the two. It’s if it is fully fit. If it is not a crack, I think he’ll play,” he further added.
Meanwhile, Pant is among the top performers for India in the series against England so far, scoring 425 runs at an average of 70.83 in six innings. He has two fifties and centuries each to his name after the first three Tests and will be looking to increase his tally if he features in the remaining two matches of the series.