Pant or Jurel — or both? India face selection puzzle ahead of fourth Test against England

Dubai: Dhruv Jurel wasn’t even in India’s playing XI at the start of the Lord’s Test — by the end of it, he had not only taken the gloves from Rishabh Pant but sparked a fresh debate: should he stay in the team even if Pant recovers?

India’s third-Test defeat at Lord’s has left them 2-1 down in the series — and staring at a must-win game in Manchester. But while the focus remains on how the visitors can bounce back, the big selection question centres around their wicketkeeping conundrum: will Rishabh Pant be fit to resume duties, and if not, does Jurel merit a spot purely as a batter?

Pant injured his left index finger on Day 1 at Lord’s and was in visible pain despite bravely batting in both innings. With gloves off, it was Jurel — the 24-year-old who hasn’t played since November’s win in Perth — who stepped up and impressed behind the stumps.

Now, the team management faces a tricky call: force Pant back as keeper despite lingering pain, or continue with Jurel and rethink the batting order?

Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed that Pant is being given maximum time to recover. “He will bat in Manchester before the Test,” he said on Thursday. “I don’t think you’re going to keep Rishabh out of the Test no matter what. He batted with quite a lot of pain in the third Test, and it’s only going to get easier and easier on his finger.”

However, he also admitted that keeping remains the final hurdle. “We don’t want to go through that again where we have to replace the keeper halfway through the innings.”

Ten Doeschate also hinted that Jurel could remain in the mix. “Jurel’s in the equation, but I mean obviously if Rishabh’s fit, he plays the next Test and does both.”

Jurel, meanwhile, brings with him not just safe hands but also solid batting credentials — 202 runs in four Tests at an average of over 50, including a gritty 90 against Australia. With India’s middle order underperforming, he could even slot in as a specialist No 5.

But former coach Ravi Shastri is not in favour of such a move. “I don’t think he (Pant) should go in as a specialist batter if he can’t keep,” he said in a video for the ICC. “With the gloves, there’s some protection. Without gloves, if he fields and gets hit again, it’ll worsen the injury.”

Shastri added that if the injury is a fracture, Pant should sit out Manchester and return fully fit at The Oval. “When you pick the team for the next Test, he’ll have to keep and he’ll have to bat. He can’t do one of the two.”

Also under the scanner is India’s bowling combination. Jasprit Bumrah, who returned with a match-haul of seven wickets at Lord’s, is expected to play in Manchester — but ten Doeschate confirmed the final decision will be taken after assessing conditions. Mohammed Siraj, meanwhile, has already sent down 109 overs and may be managed carefully.

India have options. But they don’t have the luxury of time. And as the pressure mounts, so do the selection dilemmas — with Dhruv Jurel right at the heart of it.