Rishabh Pant all set to miss Australia series, three-way race for wicketkeeper spots

Pant’s
absence
from
competitive
cricket
could
be
a
prolonged
one
and
it
will
be
premature
to
even
zero
in
on
a
date
at
this
point
in
time.

Hence,
one
of
the
biggest
challenges
for
the
new
selection
committee
will
be
to
select
the
two
keeper-batters
for
the
Border-Gavaskar
Trophy.

The
25-year-old
lost
control
of
his
Mercedes
car
while
driving
from
Delhi
to
Rourkee
on
Friday
(December
30)
morning
and
hit
the
divider
near
Mohammadpur
Jat
in
Manglaur
area.

He
was
first
rushed
to
a
local
medical
facility
but
is
now
being
treated
at
Max
Dehradun
for
multiple
injuries.

Rishabh
Pant
Accident:
Indian
Wicketkeeper
Injured
in
a
Car
Crash

While
X-Ray
and
CT
scan
reports
have
ruled
out
any
fractural,
brain
or
spinal
injuries,
the
multiple
ligament
tear
in
his
knee
and
ankle
will
certainly
keep
him
out
for
an
extensive
period.

It
could
be
anything
between
two
to
six
months
depending
upon
the
grade
of
the
ligament
tear.

“He
has
extensive
swelling
so
MRI
of
ankle
and
knee
is
yet
to
be
conducted.
Once
he
is
fit
enough
to
travel,
he
will
come
to
Mumbai
where
he
will
be
under
the
board’s
empanelled
doctor
Dinshaw
Pardiwala,”
a
BCCI
source
told
PTI
on
the
condition
of
anonymity.

Possible
Choices
as
wicketkeepers
for
Australia
Series

The
new
selection
committee
will
have
effectively
three
choices.
The
Indian
Test
wicketkeeper’s
slot
is
now
suddenly
up
for
grabs
and
it
could
be
an
interesting
three-horse
race.

The
battle
for
spots
will
be
between
Pant’s
current
understudy

Kona
Bharat,
India
A’s
second
keeper
Upendra
Yadav
and
white-ball
specialist,

Ishan
Kishan,
when
the
Test
series
starts
in
Nagpur
from
February
9.

The
two
India
A
keepers
Bharat
and
Upendra
straightaway
make
it
to
the
main
squad
or
a
dashing
left-hander
like
Kishan
could
make
the
cut.

In
the
case
of
Sanju
Samson
and
Kishan,
both
didn’t
keep
in
Ranji
Trophy
for
Kerala
and
Jharkhand
respectively.

Technically,
Bharat
being
the
second
keeper
of
the
Test
side
could
make
his
debut
in
Nagpur
but,
as
a
package,
Upendra
is
far
better.
He
is
a
good
keeper
and
a
clean
hitter
with
an
average
of
45
plus.

However,
in
the
case
of
Pant,
there
is
an
X-factor
which
Bharat
or
Upendra,
despite
being
good
performers,
don’t
possess.

Ishan
or
Sanju
are
better
choices
having
already
handled
pressures
of
international
cricket,
but
both
will
now
regret
handing
over
the
big
gloves
to
Kumar
Kushagra
and
Ponnan
Rahul,
respectively.