Indian Vice-Captain Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the 5th Test due to an ankle fracture. Tamil Nadu and former CSK wicketkeeper-batter Narayan Jagadeesan has been named as his replacement.
Rishabh Pant Battles Through Ankle Fracture
Rishabh Pant sustained a serious injury in the first innings while attempting to reverse sweep a full delivery from Chris Woakes. The ball struck his right foot on the full, forcing him to leave the field and undergo scans in Manchester.
However, Pant showed immense character, grit, and determination by returning to bat while India was struggling in the first innings. He went on to score a valuable fifty on a fractured foot a knock that drew high praise from experts and amazed fans.
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Gautam Gambhir Hails Pant’s Grit: “Generations Will Talk About This Knock”
Meanwhile, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir, speaking at the post-match press conference, praised Pant’s courage and commitment:
"“One thing I want to say is that the character and the foundation of this team will be built on what Rishabh did for the team and the country as well. Any amount of praise is not enough for him, especially batting with a broken foot. Not many people have done that in the past.
And he put his hand up, and that is why I say any amount of praise—I can sit here and talk about this for hours and hours. I think the generations to come forward will talk about this.”
Gambhir also wished Pant a speedy recovery and expressed hope he rejoins the squad soon:
“It's unfortunate because of the kind of form he was in. But again, he's an important member of the Test side. And I hope he recovers quickly and comes back quickly,” he added.
Jagadeesan Named as Backup
The 29-year-old Narayan Jagadeesan will officially replace Pant. However, he was brought in as the backup wicketkeeper, with Dhruv Jurel expected to start in the 5th Test.
It was a fightback for the ages from India in Manchester. Centuries from skipper Shubman Gill, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar, along with a valuable 90 from KL Rahul, helped stretch the match and secure a crucial draw.
The Test series now moves to The Oval in London, with England leading 2–1.
Stay tuned for more updates.
India's squad for fifth Test:
Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh, N Jagadeesan (WK)
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