Will Pant play the 4th Brisbane Test: The injured Indian wicket-keeper batsman was brave enough to play a game-changing innings at the SCG.
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During the fifth day of the third Test of the ongoing India’s tour of Australia in Sydney, cricketers from two top teams joined hands to once again explain practically as to why cricket’s ancestral format generates drama, skills, injuries, sledges, pressure, nervousness and many other human emotions like no other format.
With Australia needing eight wickets on Day 5, which included two injured batsmen and three tail-enders, they were the absolute favourites as compared to India who required 309 more runs to register one of the most emphatic chases in Test history.
Having said that, the favourites could only dismiss three Indian batsmen (including an injured one) as the visitors put on display a draw which was as good as any overseas victory.
Will Pant play the 4th Brisbane Test vs Australia?
In what was an archetype team effort, India thrived on the last day on the back of stellar performances by Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin. While the individual batting skills deserve applauds of the highest order, what is more intriguing is that India managed to draw the match despite injuries to numerous A-list players.
The ongoing tour of Australia has seen India missing Virat Kohli (paternity leave), Rohit Sharma (hamstring), Ishant Sharma (side strain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (thigh muscle), Mohammed Shami (wrist fracture), Umesh Yadav (calf), Lokesh Rahul (wrist), Rishabh Pant (elbow), Ravindra Jadeja (finger dislocation) for some part or the whole series.
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Speaking during the post-match presentation ceremony, India captain Ajinkya Rahane opened up about the prospect of Pant, Jadeja and Vihari playing the fourth Test in Brisbane starting from January 15. While Rahane all but confirmed Pant’s availability, he wasn’t sure about the others for now.
“Injury wise, [Rishabh] Pant is looking good. [Ravindra] Jadeja, the physio will take the call and [Hanuma] Vihari, we don’t know yet,” Rahane told Fox Sports.
