Rishabh Pant has cleared his fitness test at the BCCI Centre of Excellence and left for New Zealand, boosting India's preparations for the first Test, starting November 19, in Wellington.Rishabh Pant left for New Zealand on Thursday (PTI Photo) Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant left for New Zealand on Thursday, November 12, after clearing a fitness test at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. In a major boost for the Shubman Gill-led Test side, Pant will be available for selection for the first Test, which begins on November 19.Sources told India Today that Pant cleared his fitness assessment at the Centre of Excellence on November 10.
He left for New Zealand at 11.15 am IST on Thursday and is scheduled to reach the country via Singapore.Pant had been working hard on his rehabilitation at the CoE after a side strain, sustained during the Irani Cup in Srinagar in October, ruled him out of competitive action. He was initially named in India's A squad for the three unofficial Tests in New Zealand but was subsequently ruled out following the injury setback.Pant had failed to clear his initial fitness test at the CoE on November 1.
He was scheduled to undergo fresh assessments, including match simulations, on November 10, which he successfully completed. The wicketkeeper-batter spent more than two weeks at the CoE, having arrived at the BCCI's world-class facility on October 23.
His return to fitness comes as a significant boost for India ahead of a challenging two-Test series, although the team management will now have to work out a plan to get him acclimatised to New Zealand conditions without the benefit of a practice match.Captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Anshul Kamboj left the ongoing ODI series midway to join the Test squad in Wellington. Meanwhile, several of India's Test specialists, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja, featured in an unofficial Test against New Zealand A in Lincoln to get accustomed to the conditions.
The Test specialists, who will be overseen by bowling coach Morne Morkel and assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak, began training in Wellington on Thursday. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, meanwhile, will remain with the ODI squad for the final two matches of the series before joining the Test team.Shreyas Iyer will lead India in the remaining two ODIs in Gill's absence, with the visitors holding a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.BOTH PANT AND JUREL?India will be hoping Pant is ready to slot straight into the playing XI for the first Test.
However, his availability also presents the team management with a selection dilemma, with Dhruv Jurel having strengthened his case during the unofficial Test series against New Zealand A.Jurel has been in India's playing XI alongside Pant in recent Test assignments, with the team finding ways to accommodate both wicketkeeper-batters. It remains to be seen whether the Rajasthan Royals star will once again feature as a specialist batter if Pant is selected as the first-choice wicketkeeper.Jurel made a century and a half-century across four innings in the unofficial Test series, gaining valuable exposure to New Zealand conditions.
His performances could make it difficult for the team management to leave him out, particularly after the preparation he has had in the country.Pant, on the other hand, will have to quickly get accustomed to the conditions after arriving in New Zealand without any competitive match practice. He featured in two Tests during India's 2020 tour of New Zealand but endured a difficult outing, failing to cross the 25-run mark in any of his four innings.- Ends