ENG vs IND 2025: 'We need to make sure that he can keep' - Ryan ten Doeschate's crucial update on Rishabh Pant's injury ahead of Manchester Test

Rishabh Pant sustained a finger injury on his left hand while keeping wickets on Day 1 of the third Test at Lord's in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He had to relinquish the wicketkeeping duties as Dhruv Jurel donned the gloves. However, Pant braved the pain and batted in both innings, scoring 74 and nine.

One of the biggest talking points heading into the fourth Test, which starts on Wednesday, July 23, at Old Trafford, Manchester, is Pant's availability as a wicketkeeper-batter. With India trailing 1-2 in the five-match series, Pant's presence is of utmost importance for the Shubman Gill-led side.

Ahead of the crucial fourth Test, India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate spoke to the media in Beckenham and revealed that Pant will bat before the encounter, but the team management is being careful with his finger injury.

“He will bat in Manchester before the Test. I don't think you're gonna keep Rishabh out of the Test no matter what. He batted with quite a lot of pain in the 3rd Test, and it's only going to get easier on his finger,” ten Doeschate said.

The former Netherlands all-rounder mentioned that being able to keep wickets is the last part of Pant's recovery process. He said that India do not want to change their wicketkeeper mid-way through the fourth Test like they were forced to do in the previous game at the Home of Cricket.

“Keeping is the last part of the process. We need to make sure that he can keep — we don't want to go through that again where we have to replace the keeper halfway through an innings,” he added.

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Pant has been in stunning form on the England tour so far. In the first game at Headingley, he became only the second wicketkeeper-batter to score centuries in both innings of a Test match. In the second Test at Edgbaston, he registered scores of 25 and 65. The Indian vice-captain is the second-highest run-getter in the series so far, having scored 425 runs from three games at an average of 70.83.