Rishabh Pant will do a good job as wicketkeeper in India: Kiran More

As the Indian team management sweat it out over who to hand the wicketkeeping role for the first Test against England, former Indian gloveman Kiran More has taken Rishabh Pant's side.

India are yet to zero in on a combination for the first Test that starts on Friday in Chennai.

By the looks of it, if India decide to play five bowlers, Wriddhiman Saha will have to sit out and Rishabh Pant will don the gloves.

Kiran More, a former India selector, stated that Rishabh Pant will learn with experience and emerge as a top wicketkeeper-batsman.

And thus, he feels that Pant should be handed the keeping responsibility as he will only improve with time.

“Rishabh will do a good job. He will make a few mistakes, no doubt. He is 23. You are comparing a 23-year-old with a 36-year-old. Saha has more experience, he has less. When Rishabh learns with experience, he will become top wicketkeeper-batsman,” Kiran More told IANS.

Despite playing a crucial role with the bat in India’s 2-1 Test series win in Australia, the jury is still out on Rishabh Pant’s wicketkeeping, especially against spin bowling.

The hustle never stops. Keep grinding and moving on to the next goal!#RP17 #17 pic.twitter.com/giDGzyZBXv

— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) January 30, 2021

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Rishabh Pant will enjoy keeping in India: Kiran More

Kiran More also stated that wicketkeeping in India demands more concentration and believes that Rishabh Pant will enjoy the challenge.

More has backed Rishabh Pant to come good ultimately in Indian conditions as he will get many more chances to dismiss batsmen.

“I think he (Rishabh) will enjoy keeping wickets [in India] more. It is challenging, but on pitches supporting turn, I always enjoyed keeping wickets. You are always in the game. You get a lot of opportunities also. You might miss a couple, but you will always get chances whereas, on flatter wickets, it is very difficult to keep wickets because hardly any ball comes to you. As far as your concentration is concerned, you are always on the ball,” Kiran More, who played 49 Tests and 94 ODIs between 1986 and 1993, added.

Having made his Test debut during the tour of England in 2018, Rishabh Pant has only played two Tests at home so far.