Rishabh Pant to Miss 3rd India A Test; Bumrah, Jadeja Gear Up for Red-Ball Outing

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is set to miss India A’s third unofficial Test match against New Zealand A in Lincoln as he continues his recovery from a side strain. His absence from the fixture has cast doubt over his availability for the upcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand, which begins on November 19 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. In his place, Tilak Varma has joined the India A squad, while captain Dhruv Jurel will handle the wicketkeeping duties and stands as the likely replacement for the main Test series if Pant fails to recover in time.

Meanwhile, senior stars Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja are expected to feature in the Lincoln match to build red-ball match fitness. Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna will also play as he completes three weeks of rehabilitation for a hamstring strain. Although cleared for all formats, the management opted to keep him out of the ODI squad to prioritize his readiness for the Test series.

On the senior tour front, Mohammed Siraj has joined India’s ODI squad in Wellington after missing the series opener in Auckland. Siraj had been rested following a four-wicket haul in the second unofficial Test at Christchurch.India currently holds a 1-0 lead in the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, with the second ODI scheduled for October 7 at the Wellington Regional Stadium.

IND vs NZ 2nd ODI Squads
India: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan (WK), Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna*, Kuldeep Yadav.

New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (C), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham (WK), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Will Young.