Mumbai, July 28 (IANS) India suffered a major setback ahead of the fifth and final Test against England as wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been ruled out due to a right foot fracture sustained during the fourth Test in Manchester.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the development on Saturday and named Narayan Jagadeesan as his replacement for the match scheduled to begin on July 31 at the Kennington Oval in London.

Pant’s injury is a significant blow to India, who currently trail the five-match series 1-2. The southpaw was one of India’s most reliable performers behind the stumps and contributed valuable runs in the middle order throughout the series. The BCCI Medical Team will continue to monitor his recovery, and the board extended its wishes for a swift return to action.

In Pant’s absence, India have added Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batter N Jagadeesan to the squad. Jagadeesan, who has impressed in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League, will likely serve as a backup to Dhruv Jurel, who is expected to take over primary wicketkeeping duties in the decisive Test.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir praised Pant’s dedication when he walked out to bat despite having suffered the fractured toe.

“Rishabh Pant is out of the series. Any amount of praise is not enough for him, to bat with a broken foot. Not many people have done that in the past. That is why generations should talk about it, and future generations should also talk about it. It’s unfortunate because of the kind of form he was in. I hope he recovers and comes back quickly. He is a very important member of the Test side,” said Gambhir in the post-game conference.

India’s updated squad for the fifth Test includes: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh, and N Jagadeesan (wicketkeeper).

The fifth Test promises to be a high-stakes encounter as India aim win the game and draw the series. India managed to draw the fourth Test in Manchester.

–IANS

aaa/