Rishabh Pant could return to Test cricket with the two home games against South Africa, beginning at Eden Gardens on November 14. The earliest he could be in India colours, however, is on the tour of Australia next month.
India play Australia in three ODIs, starting October 19 in Perth.
The keeper-batter, who sustained a right foot fracture during the Manchester Test in July, is currently at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru for his recovery programme. With just over a fortnight left for the two Test matches against the West Indies – beginning on October 2 in Ahmedabad – his participation in that series is unlikely.
Pant had fractured his right foot after attempting a reverse sweep off a pitched-up delivery from seamer all-rounder Chris Woakes during the fourth Test at Old Trafford. The 27-year-old was on 37 and had returned to bat the next day.
Braving pain, the left-hander added 17 more runs for a half-century. He missed the final Test at The Oval – which India won by six runs to draw the series 2-2 – and was subsequently ruled out for six to eight weeks.
Dhruv Jurel kept wickets in Pant’s absence.
“That he went out to bat on the second day of the fourth Test kind of aggravated his injury a little bit. Nonetheless, he’s busy with his rehab at the CoE. His foot is also off the cast, and he isn’t using crutches and all…
“One big advantage of Rishabh is that he’s physically very strong. So, that could help him recover quickly and not take much time to resume his cricketing drills. But as far as the Windies Tests are concerned, it might be a little difficult for him to be fully fit by the time the series begins.
“On his part, though, he hasn’t given up hope. But realistically, his chances are quite remote… Odds aren’t much in his favour for the Windies series,” a BCCI insider told The Telegraph on Tuesday.
“You need to keep in mind that he was ruled out for six to eight weeks, which is not too short a period. So, he needs to be given the necessary amount of time to be fully fit.
“However, he should be fully fit by the time the Australia tour begins. And if he’s there for the Australia matches, he’ll automatically feature in the South Africa Tests.”
Pant, it was learnt, will be undergoing exercises such as toe curls, toe walking,
heel walking, and resistance band ankle workouts, apart from a few other foot mobility exercises.
His absence means a chance for Jurel to be chosen as the first-choice keeper-batsman for the Windies Tests. If Narayan Jagadeesan performs in the two multi-day games against Australia A, he too could be discussed when the selectors get down to finalise India’s squad against the West Indies.