Cedera Rishabh Pant menambah tantangan yang dihadapi India menjelang Tes Pune. Meskipun keterampilan memukul dan menjaga bolanya sangat penting, hal terpenting adalah memastikan pemulihan penuhnya.
India’s preparations for the second Test against New Zealand in Pune have hit a snag as captain Rohit Sharma reveals concerns about wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s fitness. Pant, who sustained a knee injury during the first Test in Bengaluru, is being closely monitored after struggling with his movement on the field.
Rishabh Pant Injury raises concerns
Rishabh Pant, who recently made a comeback after a serious knee surgery following a life-threatening accident, found himself injured again in the first Test against New Zealand. During day two, Pant took a blow to his knee, causing significant concern as it was the same leg that had previously undergone surgery. This injury forced the 27-year-old wicketkeeper off the field, raising alarms about his readiness for the upcoming match.
Rohit Sharma, speaking at the post-match press conference, acknowledged the seriousness of Pant’s injury. “He has had a massive operation on his knee. It’s better to be careful. When he was batting, he wasn’t comfortably running. We need to be extra careful. He has gone through a lot of trauma in the last couple of years. Not easy to keep with pain,” Rohit said, underscoring the need for caution with Pant’s recovery.
Critical performance despite injury by Rishabh Pant
Despite Pant’s struggles, he and Sarfaraz Khan were the standout performers for India in the first Test, putting on a 177-run partnership that briefly reignited hopes for the home team. Sarfaraz’s 150 and Pant’s knock of 99 helped India recover from a shocking first-innings collapse, where they were bowled out for just 46 runs – their lowest Test score at home.
“When those two are batting, everyone’s on the edge of the seat because they like to play the game which has got them success,” Rohit commented. He praised Pant’s maturity, adding, “You’ve seen it over time with Rishabh, the way he bats, obviously takes a bit of risk, but I thought it was a very mature innings. [He] dia mempertahankan bola-bola bagus, dia meninggalkan beberapa bola dan kemudian dia kembali lagi untuk melakukan tembakan-tembakan itu dan itulah yang dia lakukan.
Rohit also highlighted Sarfaraz’s approach, saying, “Not to forget Sarfaraz. Sarfaraz, as well, playing in only his third or fourth Test match [fourth]untuk menunjukkan kedewasaan seperti itu [was great]DAN [he was] dia sangat jelas dalam kepalanya tembakan apa yang ingin dia lakukan. Ketika Anda memiliki pikiran yang jernih, Anda akan berada di tempat yang baik.
Partisipasi Pant di Pune menimbulkan ketidakpastian
Dengan Tes kedua yang berlangsung di Pune pada tanggal 24 September, masih ada pertanyaan mengenai partisipasi Pant. Rohit menekankan pentingnya mengelola beban kerja Pant dengan hati-hati. “Tidak ada yang tahu apa yang ada dalam pikirannya. Hanya dia yang tahu. Kebebasan seperti inilah yang perlu kita berikan padanya. Kami baru saja mengatakan kepadanya bahwa tolong pahami situasinya, tapi itu Rishabh.” Kata Rohit sambil menunjuk gaya bermain Pant yang unik dan kepercayaan tim terhadap instingnya.
India ingin bangkit kembali dari kekalahan delapan gawang mereka di Bengaluru dan kebugaran Pant akan sangat penting. Kehadirannya di belakang tunggul dan pukulan agresifnya dapat mengubah jalannya pertandingan, namun tim sadar akan kesehatannya dan konsekuensi jangka panjang dari menekannya terlalu dini.
Apa selanjutnya untuk Tim Kriket India?
Cedera Rishabh Pant menambah tantangan yang dihadapi India menjelang Tes Pune. Meskipun keterampilan memukul dan menjaga bolanya sangat penting, hal terpenting adalah memastikan pemulihan penuhnya. Rohit Sharma dan para manajer harus memutuskan apakah akan mengambil risiko memainkan Pant di Tes kedua atau memberinya lebih banyak waktu untuk pulih. Untuk saat ini, India menghadapi perjuangan berat dalam upaya menyamakan kedudukan dengan Selandia Baru.
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