India’s Rishabh Pant plays a shot during day 2 of the 4th test match against England, at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Injured wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will bat on day five of the fourth Test, said India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak in Manchester on Saturday (July 26, 2025).
On day two, Pant came out to bat despite a fractured right foot and went on to score a half-century. Since the injury on day one, it was made clear than Pant will not be in a position to keep but will bat if the team requires.
“Rishabh will bat tomorrow,” said Kotak after stumps on day four.
India trail England by 137 runs despite a commendable 174-run rearguard stand between K L Rahul and Shubman Gill on Saturday. India ended day four at 174 for two.
Kotak lauded the captain and Rahul, who has been a rock of the batting line up.
“A five day wicket will have wear and tear but it is playing fine barring the odd ball turning. They batted with a lot of belief and determination. It is tough when you lose two early wickets.
“But I think at lunchtime also, they had that belief that we will take some time, see first 10-15 overs and then take it from there. So, absolutely brilliant the way they batted.”
Kotak said Gill is reaping the benefits of a change in mindset.
“See, from Australia series to this series, I have also seen his thought process and the way he batted. It is little different than what he has done in Australia. We discussed, but I would give a lot of credit to him for deciding on that wicket, what he wants to play, when he wants to play.”
“And I think he successfully played certain shots and successfully avoided playing certain shots,” said Kotak.
Number three spot has seen plenty of audition in the recent past but no one has really made that spot his own. Kotak said it was not an area of concern for the team.
England fret on Stokes’ bowling fitness
England captain Ben Stokes, who has been struggling with cramps in this game, did not bowl on day four following his 100 and five wickets in the first innings.
Assistant coach Marcus Trescothick provided an update on Stokes’ fitness.
“We’re hoping so [he bowls tomorrow]. He’s had quite a big workload in the last few weeks and then batting in the first innings he was getting quite a bit of cramp. We’re hoping another night’s rest and physio work overnight that he’ll be back and doing a bit tomorrow.”
“The cramp he was getting yesterday, you have that little bit of worry because of what he’s been through but we’ll see what he’s like tomorrow,” said Trescothick.
If Stokes doesn’t bowl, it would have an adverse impact on England’s bowling capabilities.
“You take anybody out of a five-man attack, it creates a hole. When you’re trying to push for victory on a pitch that is quite tricky and gets quite slow after the ball gets older, of course it’s challenging.
“It’s never great when bowlers go down or you don’t have someone available to do the work you need them to do, it’s then just up to everybody else to pick up the pieces and do the extra work. You’ll probably see Joe Root bowl more if he’s not available. Let’s wait and see. Hopefully it will all be OK tomorrow,” he added.
Published – July 27, 2025 01:11 am IST
