Former India selector identifies Pant as ‘ideal replacement’ for Australia Tests | Cricket

India may be looking for a new wicketkeeper for their upcoming Test series against Australia if Rishabh Pant does not recover from the horrific car accident. Pant is undergoing medical treatment after being involved in an accident while driving on the Delhi-Dehradun highway early on Friday.

KS Bharat has often taken Pant’s place as wicket-keeper in recent Test matches, but former India selector Saba Karim feels the 29-year-old may not be the ideal replacement. Instead, Karim said Ishan Kishan looks a better candidate for the position as he has a tendency to score quickly like Pant.

I agree that KS Bharat is being groomed for the Test keeper role. But with all due respect to him, I think Ishan Kishan is a more suitable replacement for Pant given Pant’s role in the Test squad. He is playing the Ranji Trophy and has scored a hundred at a rapid pace,” Karim told India News.

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Kishan is currently the favorite to open India’s innings alongside captain Rohit Sharma in limited-overs cricket after scoring a record-breaking double century against Bangladesh earlier this month. Although Pant is yet to play a Test match, he is a regular for Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy whenever possible. He recently scored a century against Kerala just days after scoring a double century against Bangladesh.

We won Tests because of Pants’ presence because he didn’t just play wins, he did them at a fast pace. This shifted the pressure on the opposition while giving the bowlers time to take 20 runs. Kishan has not played red-ball cricket for India A, but he has played domestic red-ball cricket for a few years, Karim said.