With exactly a month for the Antilles test series, India’s first choice counters are all injured.
Everyone wants to erase the dreaded series of New Zealand from their memory. This 0-3 defeat may have been worse than losing the ODI World Cup final in 2023. A very first laundering at home. 12 years of domination ended with a team that did not even have its best striker, Kane Williamson.
Winning is the only way to move forward. The India VS Antilles test series will just be an ideal opportunity for this. The Windies come out of a dubbing 0-3 in the hands of Australia at home. The last time they beat India in India was in 1983. It is the kind of series where Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambir can get things done at home.
Rishabh Pant fracture monitor
But there could be a problem. One month before the 2 series series kicks off, India has no window. I am not facetious here. Everyone knows that Rishabh Pant is the man of the first choice of India behind the strains. Without a doubt, he is the best guardian of the test cricket at the moment.
But he was injured on July 23. A fracture of the foot had sidelined him. We expected that he needed 4 weeks to recover. Well, this is certainly not the case. 5 weeks later, Pant continues to wear a protective fracture boot. We expected that he was back to his best before the Asian Cup, but that did not happen.
Pant himself is frustrated. “How many more days in this area?” Did he write on social networks on August 31, stressing how embarrassing the foot injury was. So the question is whether the pants are not fit for the India vs Antilles test?
Premature injury of the Dhruv jurel
Dhruv Jurel will be a counter of India, you say? Didn’t he keep the counters when Pant couldn’t during the tour in England? Well, there is also a problem there. Pant safeguarding is also injured.
Selected as captain of the central area for the Duleep trophy, Jurel did not play against the northeast zone. He apparently made a groin injury. He couldn’t play in the quarter-finals and will not play the semi-final either against the western area. What if Direl remains injured for the India vs Antilles test series?
Ishan Kishan since July
Don’t worry, India has an abundance of talents. We have backups for backups. Who is Jurel’s safeguard, ask yourself? It’s Ishan Kishan. Someone who represented India through the formats and played in the county championship during the English summer. Well, it will arrive then. Well, he may not be able either either.
You see, while during his visit with the Nottinghamshire, Kishan had an accident. He fell from an electric bike, which forced him to obtain 10 stitches on his left foot. It was this exact reason why he was not called as a jurel cover for the 5th oval test. And things have not improved.
Kishan was to be appointed captain of the East zone. But the Cricket Control Council in India (BCCI) removed it from the Duleep trophy. Currently, it is at the center of excellence (COE) in Bengaluru, in rehabilitation. This decision is a precaution, but what happens if Kishan is not in good shape either?
N Jagadeesan ready for a chance
Pant, his emergency juror and his Kishan backup could all be injured for the India VS Antilles series. It doesn’t seem well. Gill and Gambhir will not like it either. But that’s how it is. Who will be the fourth man online? It’s actually easy. Due to Kishan’s injury, N Jagadeesan was called as a backup for Jurel in England.
There has not been his debut or kept the counters, but the selectors clearly see him as the next guy. Jagadeesan was the best striker in Tamil Nadu during the Ranji 2024-25 trophies season. The gate striker scored 674 points in 8 games at an average of 56.16, with 2 hundred and 5 fifties in his name. It was chosen for the southern zone and could well continue its golden shape.
If no pants, Jurel or Kishan is fitting, Jagadeesan will be the Indian goalkeeper of the India VS Antilles test series.
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India’s WicketEper Crisis cricket: Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel & Ishan Kishan injured before WS tests
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