Rishabh Pant given second opportunity to pass fitness test ahead of New Zealand Test series

Rishabh Pant will undergo a follow-up fitness evaluation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru after not clearing his initial test. The wicketkeeper-batsman must pass this test to be cleared for travel to New Zealand for the Test series beginning November 19 at Wellington. Pant suffered a left-side strain while captaining Rest of India in the Irani Cup in early October and missed subsequent matches for recovery. Having resumed training since October 23, Pant's fitness will be reassessed within two days to determine his participation. If cleared, he will join India A for the final unofficial match against New Zealand A before the senior Tests. Jasprit Bumrah is also set to play in the third match for India A as part of his comeback to competitive cricket after recent rehabilitation.