Rishabh Pant cleared the fitness tests and left for New Zealand to join the Test team

Wicketkeeper-palter Rishabh Pant left for New Zealand on Thursday, November 12 after undergoing a fitness test at the BCCI Center of Excellence. In a major boost for the Shubman Gill-led Test, Pant will be available for selection for the first Test starting on November 19.

Sources told India Today that Pant underwent his fitness assessment at the Center of Excellence on November 10. He left for New Zealand at 11:15 IST on Thursday and is scheduled to arrive in the country via Singapore.

The hinge was he is working hard on his rehabilitation at CoE after a side strain suffered during October’s Irani Cup in Srinagar ruled him out of the competition. He was initially named in the India A team for the three unofficial Tests in New Zealand, but was subsequently dropped after a setback due to injury.

Pant failed the initial CoE fitness test on November 1. On November 10, he was scheduled to take new tests, including match simulations, which he successfully completed.

The wicket-keeper batsman spent more than two weeks at the CoE, after arriving at the BCCI’s first-class facility on October 23. His return to fitness is a significant boost for India ahead of a tough two-Test series, although the team management will now have to come up with a plan to acclimatise him to New Zealand conditions without the benefit of a practice match.

Captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Anshul Kamboj left the ongoing ODI series in the middle to join the Test team in Wellington. Meanwhile, several Indian Test specialists, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja, featured in the unofficial Test against New Zealand A in Lincoln to get used 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 in the ODI squad for the final two matches of the series before joining the Test squad.

Shreyas Iyer will lead India in the remaining two ODIs in Gill’s absence with The visitors were leading the three-game series 2-0.

LIKE PANTS AND JUREL?

India will be hoping that 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 as Dhruv Jurel 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 wicketkeepers. It remains to be seen whether the Rajasthan Royals star will re-emerge as a special batsman if Pant is selected as the first-choice wicketkeeper.

Jurel made a century and a half across four innings in the unofficial Test series, gaining valuable exposure in New Zealand conditions. His performances could make it difficult for the team management to leave him out, especially after the preparation he received in the country.

Pant, on the other hand, will have to quickly get used 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 tough outing, failing to cross the 25-run mark in any of his four innings.

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