India have suffered a major blow ahead of the fifth and final Test against England as wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been ruled out due to a right foot fracture.
The injury occurred during the fourth Test in Manchester, where India scripted a magnificent draw.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed the news on Saturday and announced N Jagadeesan as Pant’s replacement. The final Test is scheduled to begin on 31st July at the Kennington Oval in London.
Pant’s absence is a setback for India, who are trailing the five-match series 1-2. He has been one of India’s key players in the series, contributing both with the bat in the middle order and behind the stumps. The BCCI Medical Team will continue to monitor his recovery process.
Jagadeesan has performed well in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League. He is expected to serve as a backup to Dhruv Jurel, who is likely to take over the wicketkeeping responsibilities in the upcoming Test.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that Pant had played in the fourth Test despite the injury and praised his commitment during the post-match press conference. Pant will now focus on his recovery and rehabilitation.
India’s updated squad for the fifth Test includes Shubman Gill as captain, along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh, and N Jagadeesan.
