“If I hadn’t played that stroke, my time wouldn’t have been this bad,” Rishabh Pant confided to his childhood coach Davendra Sharma as he began a long rehabilitation journey. In July, Pant suffered a setback after a reverse sweep attempt against Chris Woakes in Manchester went wrong, forcing him out for months and back to the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.
Sharma explained, “The more he doesn’t play, the more he wants to get back. He thinks everyone else is playing while he’s sidelined. Sometimes he doesn’t even watch the matches.”
Pant’s comeback was emphatic. He scored 90 off 113 balls in the second innings of an unofficial Test against South Africa A, followed by a whirlwind 65 in the next game, proving he was back to full fitness.
India’s strategic focus now includes Dhruv Jurel, who has emerged as a reliable second-choice wicketkeeper but also a powerful batsman. His last eight first-class innings read: 140, 1, 56, 125, 44, 6, 132, 127***.
The team has decided to field both Pant and Jurel together, especially effective in home conditions. Nitish Reddy, a seam-bowling all-rounder, received limited opportunities and was omitted from the first Test. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate noted, “Given the importance of this series, he might not start this Test.”
The reasoning behind this strategy is India’s need to counter South Africa’s stronger bowling attack and ensure batting consistency. Combining Pant and Jurel gives India a balanced middle order and wicketkeeping cover, crucial for building a winning Test side at home.