India is preparing to face Australia in the opening match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Thursday, February 9, in Nagpur. The squad will be missing the presence of Rishabh Pant, their standout wicketkeeper-batter, due to a serious injury. Pant is currently recovering from a horrific car crash on December 30, which means he will likely miss a significant portion of the 2023 international calendar.
Resuming their epic rivalry in the longest format of the game, India is set to host Australia in the upcoming series opener of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on February 9 (Thursday) at Nagpur. India’s star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was ruled out of the Test series as he is recovering from a major injury. Pant survived a dreadful car crash on December 30 and the injured player is expected to miss several marquee tournaments in 2023.
Addressing the search for a replacement keeper for the four-match series, former selector MSK Prasad has thrown his weight behind KS Bharat. Prasad argues that the coaching staff should give Bharat an opportunity, as he has been carefully developed for the Test arena and is well-suited for Indian conditions. He specifically mentioned that Bharat's ability to keep on turning pitches makes him the ideal partner for a spin attack featuring the likes of Ashwin, Jadeja, and Kuldeep.
Regarding Ishan Kishan, Prasad feels it's too early for him to step into the Test side. While the young left-handed batter was a surprise addition to the squad, he simply lacks the necessary experience in the longest format. Prasad added that Bharat not only provides stability behind the stumps but also consistently strives to contribute valuable runs with the bat in red-ball cricket.
While Ishan Kishan's aggressive, counter-attacking style makes him a natural successor to Pant's batting approach, Bharat has spent nearly three years as the backup keeper in the Test setup and a mainstay for India A. Interestingly, Bharat is still waiting for his international debut in any format, whereas Kishan has already featured in 27 T20Is and 13 ODIs for India.