Pant will get long rope, says captain Kohli; hints Axar might be in line for Test debut

Chennai: Rishabh Pant has earned his stripes with excellent batting performances in Australia and will get a long rope in the five-day format, said India captain Virat Kohli, who also loosely hinted that Axar Patel might be in line for a Test debut against

England.

The Indian captain also made it clear that while bowlers, who can bat well, will be in the "forefront of their plans" during the four Tests, the opening combination of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill is expected to be persisted with during the entire duration of the series against England, starting here on Friday.

"Yes, Rishabh will start and take the gloves tomorrow. He had impact performances recently and he is in a good space, and we want him to build on this along with improvement in all aspects of his game," Kohli said while elaborately discussing various aspects of team

combination.

"This will happen with game time and confidence he gains with playing those games, that's how we look at Rishabh," he added.

The skipper also praised how Pant, who was excluded from the white ball set-up, worked hard in Australia and results were there for everyone to see.

"After IPL, when he came to Australia, he wasn't a part of the white ball set-up. He kept working hard on his fitness and game and realised that, he got the results eventually. All of us were very happy.

"We have backed him quite a lot and for good reason what we saw in Australia, what he can do with the bat and that brings in a lot of value to this team. He will be continued to be backed because he is an impact player and opposition will be wary of him," Kohli said.

The skipper said that they will continue to back bowling all-rounders, which has been the pattern for the team's success in home conditions.

And therein, Axar, according to the captain, fits the bill perfectly if one factors in Ravindra Jadeja's absence.

"The reason was basically to have someone similar to Jadeja's skills as to what they provide to the team which Axar brings in all three departments of the game. That falls in our plans...Since Jaddu was not available, Axar was preferred, because he brings in the same kind of discipline on the

field."