Jagadeesan Set to Step In as Pant's Replacement for Final Test

India’s Men’s Selection Committee has named Narayan Jagadeesan as the official replacement for wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant in the upcoming fifth and final Test against England at The Oval, starting 31 July.

Pant has been ruled out due to a fractured right foot, sustained during the first innings of the fourth Test in Manchester. Despite his valiant return to bat, medical scans made his omission from the final match inevitable. The BCCI confirmed that Pant’s recovery will continue under the monitoring of its medical team.

Why Jagadeesan?

Narayan Jagadeesan has earned selection thanks to his consistency in India’s domestic red-ball cricket. In 52 first-class matches, he has scored 3,373 runs at an average of 47.50, including ten centuries and 14 fifties—a profile that impressed the selection committee as Pant’s replacement.

Former Tamil Nadu keeper-batter Jagadeesan said the call came as no surprise, revealing he had been preparing closely with higher-level squads, anticipating such an opportunity.

Updated India Squad (Oval Test)

Jagadeesan joins Dhruv Jurel—the standby wicketkeeper—alongside India's Test squad featuring key names such as Shubman Gill (captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Washington Sundar.

What This Means

Aspect	Insight
Wicketkeeping	Jagadeesan provides depth behind the stumps; Dhruv Jurel will likely don the gloves on match day.
Series strategy	With the series at 2–1 in England’s favour, India need a strong finish to avoid losing the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy.
Player welfare debate	Pant’s courage sparked renewed discussion on injury substitutes in Tests—a cause backed by coach Gautam Gambhir but rejected by Ben Stokes as “ridiculous”.

Narayan Jagadeesan’s inclusion ensures India head into the decider with full wicketkeeping coverage, and his red-ball credentials offer hope for replacing Pant’s batting and glovework output.