Ex-CSK Wicketkeeper Set to Replace Rishabh Pant in India's Squad

Team India are playing against England in the fourth Test match at the Old Trafford, Manchester. Ben Stokes decided to bowl first on winning the toss since Indian skipper Shubman Gill lost the toss fourth time in the series. The openers have a terrific start to the game, putting up a 94-run partnership. However, as the game proceeded, and India lost a few wickets, Rishabh Pant came in to bat.

But India's vice-captain injured his right toe while attempting an audicious reverse sweep against Chris Woakes. The injury got to an extent which ruled Pant out of any type of professional cricket for the next six weeks, ultimately ruling him out of this series. It is a big blow for India as Pant is one of India's best batters of this series.

Who is Rishabh Pant Replacement?

According to Express Sports, Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batter N Jagadeesan has been called by the selectors for the remaining game at The Oval. Jagadeesan is an experienced campaigner in domestic cricket, and will be in contention to make his Test debut during the IND vs ENG 5th Test. Rishabh Pant injury was an unfortunate event for the Indian team as he is one of the best batters in the team.

His fearless batting approach has always helped India in crunch situations. Now, it will be up to the management to give N Jagadeesan a chance in the fifth match or go with Dhruv Jurel, who is already present in the squad. The selectors first approached Ishan Kishan for the match, but he is recovering from an injury and couldn't be a part of the squad. Kishan has not played for India for more than a year now.

Jurel is clearly the frontrunner to replace Pant in the final Test at The Oval. The right-hander had a fantastic start to his Test career and even won the Player of the Match award in just his second game. However, India will miss Pant's services in the next match as he is a key part of this set-up.

Rishabh Pant slams a half-century against England

To play any sport, mental fitness is extremely important, along with the physical well-being. But in the ongoing 4th Test match, India's keeper-batter Rishabh Pant proved that passion for something is extremely important to succeed in it. Despite sustaining a toe fracture, the left-handed batter went back to the crease to bat and slammed a half-century. When he was retired hurt, he was batting on 37 runs off 48 balls.

But after Shardul Thakur lost his wicket, and India needed a strong batter on the crease to do the damage control. Pant saw this as an opportunity and walked into the crease. For every cricket fan, it was a proud moment watching a player give his all for the country. He fought well, scoring 54 runs off 75 balls, including three boundaries and two sixes. Despite losing the toss, the Indian batters put up a good show, scoring 358 runs in the first innings. Yashasvi Jaiswal(58), KL Rahul(46), Sai Sudharsan(61), and Shardul Thakur (41) contributed their best.

It was a good day for Ben Stokes, who picked up five wickets in the innings. He got good support from Jofra Archer from the other end, who picked up three wickets. After losing the second Test, Stokes has been quite brilliant with the bat and the ball. He even won the Player of the Match award in the previous match. The Manchester pitch is quite tricky and with the presence of Jasprit Bumrah, it should be an interesting game of cricket for the fans to watch.