IND v NZ 2024: Boost for India as Rishabh Pant declared fit to play second Test in Pune

Ace India keeper-batter Rishabh Pant is declared fit to play the second Test against New Zealand in Pune starting Thursday (Oct 24). The left-handed batter suffered a blow to his right knee while keeping during Kiwi’s first innings in Bengaluru, with spare gloveman Dhruv Jurel asked to replace him on the field.

Though Jurel impressed with some exceptional glove work throughout, Pant made inroads with the bat in hand in the second innings. His 99-run knock, part of a 177-run stand with centurion Sarfaraz Khan, blew the roof off at the M Chinnaswamy.

At first, it looked worse, suggesting Pant could be out of the first Test if not the series, but he came to batfighting knee pain. The star batter took his time before unleashing an attack after lunch. Pant took the attack to the opposition in the second session, accelerating India’s innings, with their scorecard at one stage reading 408 for three.

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Given India’s position after their first-inning debacle, where they got all out on their lowest team total at home (46) in Tests, surpassing the 356-run deficit and piling up runs was a massive effort. Pant’s contribution played a vital role, which saw him smashing nine fours and five maximums, including a monstrous 107m off Tim Southee.

Per a report in The Indian Express, Pant is fit to play the second Test in Pune. The hosts, however, are expected to make a few changes to the playing XI for the next game. Shubman Gillwill be roped in if he is fit, and Akash Deep is likely to replace Mohammed Siraj.

With Washington Sundar’s inclusion and the latest reports suggesting that the board has asked for rank-turner for the second match, Rohit could be tempted to play another spin bowler ahead of a seamer.

‘Careful with Pant’

After the first match in Bengaluru, Rohit addressed Pant’s injury status, saying considering what he has undergone in the past year (out of action following a horrific car crash in December 2022), the management is careful with his injury and workload.

“He’s (Rishabh Pant) had a massive operation on his leg, so we all know what he went through,” Rohit had said after the first Test. “He’s had a lot of minor surgeries, one big surgery on his knee, and he 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 careful with him. Even when he was batting, he was not comfortably running. He was trying to only put the ball in the stands,” the India captain said.

(With inputs from agencies)