Before the start of Day 2 of the ENG vs IND 4th Test, Indian fans were caught in a frenzy. The morning reports stated that Rishabh Pant had been ruled out of the series after a toe fracture while batting on Day 1. Ishan Kishan was a likely replacement on the back of his County Championship stint. However, it turned out to be another injury-laden news. It is now understood that Narayan Jagadeesan will get a national call-up.
During the Lord’s Test, Pant had injured his finger. Dhruv Jurel was assigned wicket-keeping duties as Pant was available only to bat. During the ongoing Test, it seemed Pant may not return to the field. He was visibly in severe pain with a bleeding, swollen foot. However, he came out to bat after Shardul Thakur was dismissed in the 102nd over. Pant, who was retired hurt at 37 yesterday, has resumed batting today.
Looking ahead, Pant may not be fully fit for The Oval Test starting on July 31. N Jagadeesan, a former player from Chennai Super Kings (CSK), will join the India squad.
Jagadeesan recently took part in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2025 alongside other star players like Ravichandran Ashwin, Varun Chakravarthy, and more. The Dindigul Dragons’ glovesman made 180 runs from seven outings.
The Tamil Nadu player has a decent record in First-Class matches, amassing 3,300+ runs from 52 matches. He averages an impressive 47.50.
During the latest Ranji Trophy season in the 2024-25 cycle, Jagadeesan was the top scorer from his State with 674 runs in 13 outings. He maintained an average of 56.16 while smacking two hundreds and five half-centuries. The wicketkeeper had the second-best aggregate, just behind Vidarbha’s Akshay Wadkar.
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The 27-year-old resumed his 37-run knock on Day 2, after being wheeled out in the ambulance earlier. He went on to make 54 runs off 75 balls, including three fours and two sixes. Soon, his off-stump cartwheeled off Jofra Archer’s bowling. Pant’s walk to the pavilion was highly applauded, and his knock was called nothing short of a warrior.
However, batting today may prove to be a wrong decision for the young keeper-batter. Though Pant added a valuable 17 runs to India’s 358, it may have worsened his injury.
Undoubtedly, Pant’s contributions have been crucial for India. He is the second-highest run-getter with 479 runs, just behind skipper Shubman Gill. In the process, Pant has struck two centuries and three half-centuries. He has an average of close to 70 in the series.
But an injury like this may extend the recovery time before Pant returns to action.
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