"The Indian team won't be able to manage without his batting" - Aakash Chopra on Rishabh Pant's place in India's XI for ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that Rishabh Pant should play as a specialist batter if he is not fit enough to keep wickets in the fourth Test against England. He highlighted that the visitors need the unconventional player's contributions with the bat.

India trail England 2-1 in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy heading into the fourth Test starting in Manchester on Wednesday, July 23. Pant injured his finger while keeping in the first innings of the third Test at Lord's, batting with considerable pain in both innings, with Dhruv Jurel donning the wicketkeeping gloves.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener, contrary to Ravi Shastri's views, reckoned that Pant should play as a pure batter if he is unable to keep wickets.

"Can Rishabh Pant play as a batter? The voice for this argument will become louder now. He has an injury in his hand, and Dhruv Jurel kept wickets in the last match. If Rishabh is still not fully fit, he should either play as a batter or not play at all. Ravi Shastri believes he shouldn't play if he cannot keep," Chopra said (5:25).

"I am of the opinion that the Indian team won't be able to manage without his batting. I am absolutely honest about it because even though this guy had an injury in his hand, the result of the match might have been different had he not got run out. He played a 74-run knock even in that innings. He got out early in the second innings for sure, but Rishabh Pant is a match-winner. He is a game-changer and an entertainer," he added.

Aakash Chopra opined that Dhruv Jurel can bat at No. 6, replacing Nitish Kumar Reddy in the XI, and keep wickets in such a scenario. He added that India can then either retain Karun Nair at No. 3 or play one of Sai Sudharsan and Abhimanyu Easwaran at that spot.

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"There are very few players who can break the mold of Test cricket" - Aakash Chopra on what makes Rishabh Pant special

Rishabh Pant is known for his aggressive batting approach in Tests. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra was asked what makes Rishabh Pant a special player in Tests.

"Rishabh Pant does now what Virender Sehwag and Adam Gilchrist used to do. There are very few players who can break the mold of Test cricket. When someone does that, the opposing team remains stunned," he responded (9:40).

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Pant is among the few players who challenge the conventional approach of playing Test cricket.

"When a batter comes to bat, even if it's Viru or Pant, you believe you should set a field that's right for Test cricket, as the 150-year history is weighing down on you, and you think he won't be able to hit this time, although he might have hit last time. When he comes and hits at the start, you are in a dilemma. Very few players have been able to challenge the DNA of Test cricket," Chopra elaborated.

Rishabh Pant has amassed 3,373 runs at an average of 44.38 in 46 Tests. With 425 runs at an average of 70.83 in six innings, he is the second-highest run-getter in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.