India are gearing up for the all-important fourth Test against England, set to begin on Wednesday, July 23, at Old Trafford in Manchester.
As the team looks to bounce back from a narrow 22-run loss at Lord’s and level the series, a lot of attention is on the batting unit.
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Amid discussions, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has said that Pant is the one player England fear the most and not Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has grabbed headlines with his aggressive starts.
Why does Sanjay Manjrekar back Rishabh Pant over Jaiswal?
Speaking during a segment on Star Sports, Manjrekar emphasised that Pant should be allowed to play with complete freedom, and not be asked to tone down his approach in Test cricket.
“Rishabh Pant will play in his way no matter what the situation is. He should get that license because he deserves it. The batting unit has to function well. Jaiswal must think a bit about how he got out," Manjrekar said while speaking on Star Sports.
While acknowledging Jaiswal’s rich vein of form in the series, Manjrekar pointed out that Pant brings something more unsettling to the English bowlers.
“He (Jaiswal) should make use of his form. Pant, I feel, is a big player at No.5. He is a batter who England fear,” Manjrekar added.
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Pant has already made a strong statement in this series, scoring 425 runs in three Tests at an average of 70.83. In the third Test at Lord’s, he struck a solid 74 runs in the first innings.
Will Rishabh Pant be fit for the Manchester Test?
Pant did suffer an injury scare during Day 1 of the Lord’s Test when a dive injured his left index finger, forcing him to leave the field. He didn’t keep wickets for the rest of the match, with Dhruv Jurel stepping in as a substitute.
However, speaking after the match, India captain Shubman Gill confirmed that the injury wasn’t serious, and that Pant is likely to play in the fourth Test.
“Rishabh went for scans. There is no major injury, so he should be fine for the fourth Test in Manchester,” Gill said during the press conference.
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With the series finely poised at 1-2 in England’s favour, all eyes will be on Pant to see if he can once again deliver a game-changing performance under pressure.