India vs England 2021: Virat Kohli Confirms That Rishabh Pant Will Play Ahead Of Wriddhiman Saha In Chennai

Indian skipper Virat Kohli has confirmed that swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will keep wickets in the series opener against England.

This is the first time that Pant will play a Test match on home soil after the 2018 series against the West Indies.

In the last home season, India had opted for the superior keeping skills of Wriddhiman Saha ahead of Rishabh Pant.

However, Pant, who was dropped from the pink ball Test against Australia, has virtually made himself undroppable following his back-to-back fourth innings knocks of 97 and 89* at the SCG and the Gabba.

Addressing the media on the eve of the first Test against England, skipper Virat Kohli said that the team-management will be persisting with the 23-year-old following his ‘major impact’ Down Under.

“Rishabh (Pant) will start tomorrow. He had a massive impact in Australia and is in a good head space. We want to continue with him,” Virat Kohli said at a pre-match press conference on Thursday.

When asked about the pitch on offer at the Chepauk, Kohli reckoned that it looks like a good batting track but added that it could have something in it for the fast bowlers.

“The Chepauk pitch looks good to bat on, but I think it will also have something for the quicks. The combination we have had in the past, where players can bat and bowl, will be our outlook going forward,” Virat Kohli added.

India will look to continue with their near impregnable record on home soil in the series against England. The Men in Blue have dropped just one Test since losing the series to England in December 2012. They have also not lost at Chepuak this century; the last defeat came way back in 1999 against Pakistan.

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