Rishabh Pant confirmed to bat at No. 5 despite painful net session, seen whipping off injured hand after playing strokes

Rishabh Pant toiled hard in the nets despite suffering from a finger injury during Day 2 of the Lord's Test.

Despite a painful blow to his left index finger on Day 1, Rishabh Pant showed clear signs of intent and commitment as he hit the practice nets at Lord’s ahead of India’s second innings in the third Test. The wicketkeeper-batter, who didn’t take the field on Day 2 due to the injury, spent over 15 minutes batting in the nets, pushing himself through hard work and sending a strong signal: he’s not sitting this one out.

London: India's vice captain Rishabh Pant during a practice session (PTI)

Pant arrived at the nets with batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, physio Yogesh Parmar, and two throwdown specialists. He faced a series of throwdowns in a specialised area outside the ground; while he began cautiously, it soon became evident that he wasn’t at full ease. After playing a few shots, he was seen frequently shaking his left hand and occasionally removing it from the bat altogether, a clear sign that the pain hadn’t subsided.

At times, he paused after certain strokes to gently tap or flex his fingers.

The injury occurred late on Day 1 when Pant attempted to stop a wayward Bumrah delivery down the leg side to Ollie Pope. The ball struck the fingertips of his left hand, and Pant immediately showed signs of pain. Though he attempted to finish the over, he soon left the field for treatment. On Friday, the BCCI confirmed that Dhruv Jurel would continue as the wicketkeeper, as Pant remained under the supervision of the medical team.

However, his determination to train, despite not being at full fitness, has confirmed his availability as a batter. Hindustan Times has been reliably informed that Rishabh Pant has been ‘pencilled in’ to bat at No. 5, regardless of the injury. However, it is likely that Jurel would continue to keep the wickets in the second innings, given the manner in which Pant had been consistently removing his left hand after playing some of the shots in the session.

India lose Jaiswal early

Team India faced an early setback in the first innings as Yashasvi Jaiswal, the in-form opener, was dismissed for 13 by the returning Jofra Archer. The Englishman struck the breakthrough in just the third ball of his Test comeback after over four years, as he found an outside edge that carried to second slip.

Earlier, England scored 387 in the first innings.