Rishabh Pant fit to play 2nd Test against New Zealand
What's the story
Rishabh Pant, who had suffered a knee injury during the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru, has been declared fit for the Pune Test.
The Indian Express reported that despite complaining of pain during his second innings performance in the first Test, Pant is now completely fit and ready for the next match.
The second Test will start on October 24.
Injury details
Pant's knee injury and subsequent performance
Notably, Pant's knee injury was on the same leg that had previously undergone surgery after a car accident in December 2022.
Following the incident, he was immediately taken off the field and replaced by Dhruv Jurel for the rest of the game.
Despite his discomfort, Pant returned to bat in India's second innings where he scored an impressive 99 runs off just 105 balls.
Cautious approach
Team management's cautious approach to Pant's recovery
Indian cricket team captain, Rohit Sharma, has revealed that the team management is being cautious with Pant's knee injury.
This is because he has undergone major surgeries after a life-threatening car accident that kept him out for almost 18 months.
"He's (Rishabh Pant) had a massive operation on his leg, so we all know what he went through," Rohit said after the first Test against New Zealand.
IND vs AUS
Pant's fitness crucial for upcoming Border-Gavaskar Test series
Pant's fitness is of utmost importance to the Indian team, especially with the Border-Gavaskar Test series in Australia a month away.
He was instrumnetal to India's last two Test series triumphs Down Under.
Rohit had further added that even while batting in the first Test against New Zealand, Pant wasn't comfortably running and was trying to only put the ball in the stands.