Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has confirmed that Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill are healthy and will be available for selection, meaning that India will likely have a virtually full-strength team for the second Test match against New Zealand in Pune.

Both players are recuperating from injuries that hindered or prevented them from playing in India’s first Test match, which ended in a loss in Bengaluru.

After suffering a knee injury during New Zealand’s first innings, Pant left the field and did not return to wicketkeeping for the rest of the game. He was replaced behind the wickets by Dhruv Jurel, but India is hoping Pant can recover enough to play again in Pune.

Yes, I believe that everyone is doing extremely well. The quick bowlers are all OK since there wasn’t much bowling in the first test. “Rishabh is pretty good,” Ryan said at Tuesday’s pregame news conference. “I believe Rohit Sharma said that recently. He was experiencing some little knee soreness at the conclusion of his range of motion. Hopefully, however, he’ll be OK to keep for this test as well.

Shubman Gill has also been making good progress, despite missing the first test because of a stiff neck. Regarding Gill, the assistant coach said, “He batted last week in Bangalore; he had a few nets.” “He’s got a little bit of discomfort, but I’ll think he will be good to go for the test.”

Ryan acknowledged that there is fierce competition for spots on the squad, but he also said that there are currently no worries about KL Rahul’s performance. Rahul was completely out of form during the Bengaluru Test, scoring 12 runs in the second innings and being dismissed for a duck in the first.

Gill’s comeback presents India with a formidable selection dilemma, particularly in the batting division. Gill was substituted in the Bengaluru Test by Sarfaraz Khan, who took advantage of the situation by scoring an incredible 150. India’s middle-order options are made more difficult by his outstanding performance, particularly in light of Rahul’s present condition being questioned.

“He didn’t miss any balls while playing. When you don’t receive runs, that’s what usually occurs. Ten Doeschate said, “He got two balls in the game, one down the leg side and one that he managed to nick.” “KL is definitely not a cause for worry. He’s in a terrific frame of mind and is hitting well.”

A strong battle for slots in the starting lineup, especially in the middle order, was alluded to by the assistant coach. “In the most recent Test, Sarfaraz was outstanding… For this test, we will undoubtedly need to cram seven pieces into six spaces. We’ll examine the pitch today and see what will benefit the team the most,” he said.

On October 24, India and New Zealand will start their second Test match.