IND vs NZ: Why is Rishabh Pant not keeping wickets on day 3 of Bengaluru test?

Rishabh Pant was top scorer for India in the first innings of first IND vs NZ test in Bengaluru.

India took the field on day 3 of the ongoing 1st IND vs NZ test at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru without their first-choice wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant. Instead, substitute Dhruv Jurel was seen behind the stumps with the gloves.

After the entire day 1 was washed out, the Bengaluru test kicked off on day 2, that is October 17. The hosts were bundled out for only 46 runs after electing to bat first with Matt Henry and William O’Rourke sharing nine wickets between them.

By stumps on day 2, the Kiwis were 180/3 after Devon Conway had scored 91 runs. India will look to restrict New Zealand for as low as score as possible.

During New Zealand’s innings, India were forced to make a change on the field as Pant had to walk back to the dressing room and Jurel was handed the wicket-keeping duties in the third session on day 2. Jurel continued to keep wicket on day 3 as well.

IND vs NZ: Why is Rishabh Pant not keeping wicket on day 3 of the Bengaluru test?

In the 37th over of New Zealand’s innings on day 2, Pant was hit with the ball on his knee while wicket-keeping. He left the field immediately and was replaced by Jurel. The BCCI then confirmed that Pant will not do wicket-keeping on day 3 as well, as the medical team is monitoring his progress.

Captain Rohit Sharma had said after play on day 2, “Unfortunately, the ball hit straight on his knee cap, the same leg on which he has got a surgery done. So he has got a bit of swelling on it. And you know the muscles are quite tender at this point in time, so it’s a precautionary measure. We don’t want to take a risk. Rishabh doesn’t want to take a risk because he has gone through a massive surgery on that particular leg. That was the reason for him to go inside.”

Meanwhile, Mohammed Siraj dismissed Daryl Mitchell and Jasprit Bumrah got rid of Tom Blundell on the morning of day 3, both caught in the slips.

At the time of writing, New Zealand have a lead of 169 runs with five wickets in hand.

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