How many keeper-batters have India tried out since Rishabh Pant last played a Test match?
Keeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been a key figure in India’s Test success over the last few years. With his dynamic batting, he had drawn comparisons with Australian legend Adam Gilchrist and his idol MS Dhoni. There were question marks over his keeping ability at one point in time, but he worked extremely hard to overcome those shortcomings.
Since making his Test debut in August 2018, the left-handed batter has played some of the most impactful knocks for India in the red-ball format. Pant scored a fascinating 97 against Australia in Sydney in January 2021 and followed it up with an iconic 89* at The Gabba. To prove his versatility, he scored a hundred against England in Ahmedabad on a turning pitch and also has tons in Cape Town and Birmingham.
Unfortunately for India, Pant has been out of action since his horrific car accident on December 30, 2022. It is no surprise that India have struggled in the keeping department in his absence. The 26-year-old’s last Test was against Bangladesh in Mirpur in December 2022.
Here’s a look at the number of keeper-batters India have tried out since Pant’s unavailability and how they have fared.
#1 Srikar Bharat
After being on standby for several matches, Srikar Bharat was handed his Test debut against Australia in Nagpur in February 2023 in the first Test of the four-match series. The Andhra stumper was decent behind the stumps but struggled with the bat.
Bharat played in all four Tests of the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against the Aussies. He scored 8 on his Test debut in Nagpur even as India won the Test by an innings and 132 runs. The 30-year-old followed it up with scores of 6 & 23* in Delhi and 17 & 3 in Indore. The right-handed batter scored 44 in Ahmedabad in the fourth and final Test of the series, failing to convert his start into a big score.
Bharat was retained in the playing XI for the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at The Oval. He once again disappointed with the willow, registering scores of 5 & 23 as India went down to Australia by 209 runs, losing their second WTC final in a row.
After being left out of the playing XI during India’s tour of West Indies (2023) and South Africa (2023-24), the keeper-batter featured in the first two Tests of the ongoing series against England.
He kept very well in both matches but continued to disappoint with the bat. Bharat scored 41 & 28 in Hyderabad and 17 & 6 in Visakhapatnam. He was subsequently dropped from the third Test in Rajkot, which began on Thursday, February 15.
In seven Tests so far, Bharat has scored 221 runs at an average of 20.09, with a best of 44. In first-class cricket, he has 5,101 runs from 96 matches, with 10 hundreds.
#2 Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan was picked as the keeper-batter in the Indian playing XI for the two-match Test series in the West Indies in July 2023. The southpaw made his Test debut in the first game of the series at Windsor Park in Roseau, Dominica.
Kishan was impressive behind the stumps but looked nervous with the bat. He scored 1* off 20 balls in his first Test innings for India as the visitors won the match by an innings and 141 runs.
The Jharkhand cricketer was a lot more confident with the willow in the second Test played at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad. He contributed 25 off 37 in the first innings and followed it up with an attacking 52* off 34 in the second essay.
Kishan was part of the Indian Test squad for the series in South Africa but pulled out citing personal reasons. It was later reported that he had sought leave due to fatigue issues.
The 25-year-old has been out of favor since, with the team management making it clear that he will have to play some cricket to be eligible for selection again.
#3 KL Rahul
While Bharat was named as Kishan’s replacement in the Indian squad for the Tests against South Africa, it was KL Rahul who ended up doing the keeping duties. The experienced batter starred with a resolute 101 in the first innings in Centurion before being dismissed for 4 in the second. Rahul was out for 8 in the only innings he batted in the second Test in Cape Town.
Speaking of his keeping, he was impressive behind the stumps, picking up three catches in the first Test and five in the second. Ahead of the home series against England, though, Indian coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma confirmed that Rahul would not be keeping wickets in the five-match Test series.
#4 Dhruv Jurel
Dhruv Jurel is the fourth keeper-batter that India have tried in Test matches since Pant’s last red-ball game for India. The Uttar Pradesh stumper was handed his Test cap for the ongoing match in Rajkot.
The 23-year-old has played 15 first-class matches, scoring 790 runs at an average of 46.47. He has one hundred and five fifties to his credit. The youngster scored 69 off 166 balls for India A against South Africa A in the second unofficial Test in Benoni.
Jurel also smacked 50 off 38 deliveries in the two-day tour match for India A against England Lions in Ahmedabad last month.