Rishabh Pant. Photo- REvSportz X
Rishabh Pant. Photo- REvSportz X

Rishabh Pant, India keeper-batter, was seen batting during the break before India’s second innings in the ongoing first Test against New Zealand. India had posted 46 after choosing to bat first and New Zealand replied with a solid 402 runs in their first do.

In the 37th over of New Zealand’s innings, Rishabh Pant missed a stumping chance against Devon Conway from Ravindra Jadeja, which proved costly. The ball struck his exposed right knee. The 27-year-old was unable to continue and had to leave the field, with Dhruv Jurel filling in as wicketkeeper.

The Delhi Capitals (DC) captain did not take the field as wicketkeeper on the third day of the match. Dhruv Jurel kept the stumps for the Rohit Sharma-led team on the third day. There were suspicions that Rishabh Pant would not bat in the second innings of the match against New Zealand.

Rohit Sharma discussed Rishabh Pant’s injury during the post-Day 2 press conference. Rohit stated that the ball struck Pant’s kneecap, which he had already had surgery on. Rohit emphasized the decision to keep Pant off the field as a precautionary measure.

“Unfortunately, the ball hit straight on his knee cap, the same leg which he’s done a surgery on. So he has got a bit of swelling on it. And you know the muscles are quite tender at this point in time so it’s a precautionary measure.

We don’t want to take a risk. Rishabh doesn’t want to take a risk because he has gone through a massive surgery on that particular leg. That was the reason for him to go inside. Hopefully, at night he can recover and we will see him back on the field tomorrow,” Rohit Sharma said on PTI.

Pant sustained multiple injuries in a serious vehicle accident in December 2022. The left-handed batsman returned to competitive cricket during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 and contributed significantly to India’s win in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Rishabh Pant was seen batting during the break ahead of India’s second innings

However, much to the good news for the Indian team and fans, Rishabh Pant was seen doing batting practice as India prepped for their second innings. Dhruv Jurel kept the stumps for the Rohit Sharma-led team on the third day. There were suspicions that Rishabh Pant would not bat in the second innings of the match against New Zealand.

Rishabh Pant is showing signs of improvement from his knee injury on Day 2. During the tea break, he was observed practicing shadow batting and throwing down. His presence on the pitch is a welcome development for Team India since his bat is essential in the game.

Here is the video:

Pant had top-scored for India with 20 runs in their innings of 46.

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