Follow UsIndia will be without their biggest Test star as Rishabh Pant is all but ruled out of the two-match Test series against West Indies, which starts on October 2 (Thursday). The wicketkeeper-batter had suffered a fractured foot during India’s 2-2 series in England, which ruled him out of the fifth Test at The Oval.
According to ESPNCricinfo, India are set to pick a 15-member squad for the West Indies on September 24 (Wednesday). The last time India played a home Test, it was against New Zealand, which they lost 0-3, with an extended 17-member squad.
Most likely, Narayan Jagadeesan will act as the backup wicketkeeper for Dhruv Jurel for the home Tests. Jurel, in his short stint, has already established himself as a very strong candidate as India’s next-gen wicketkeeper.
The reports further added that Nitish Kumar Reddy and Devdutt Padikkal are expected to make a return to the setup for the two-match Test series. Padikkal has shown crazy consistency in the past few weeks, including smashing a stroke-filled 150 for India A in their clash against Australia A in Lucknow.
Meanwhile, Reddy will be eyeing to take his place back in the Indian playing XI, and will be using the upcoming series to make his comeback. India currently find themselves in third place in the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, and will be looking to seal a whitewash at home against a weaker West Indies side.
(Image Courtesy: ECB)