India have had a problem finding a decent wicket-keeper, who could provide solidity in the batting order in the longer format of the game since Rishabh Pant got injured in December 30, 2022.
In the ongoing series against England, KS Bharat was selected as the first-choice keeper, above the likes of Ishan Kishan and Dhruv Jurel.
KS Bharat has been India's designated wicket-keeper in the absence of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul. Pant suffered a car accident in 2022, while KL Rahul has been on-and-off from cricket due to injuries.
Bharat has been a solid player behind the wickets and has a good batting record in domestic cricket, but he has failed to impress with the bat in his hand when it comes to the international stage.
Ahead of India's 3rd Test against England, The Sporting News analyses the First Class and Test records of all three available choices in the wicketkeeper position.
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What is KS Bharat's record in red-ball format?
| Format | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s / 100s | High Score | Catches | Stumpings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 6 | 10 | 198 | 22.00 | 54.09 | - / - | 44 | 16 | 1 |
| FC | 95 | 150 | 5078 | 37.06 | 59.89 | 27 / 10 | 308 | 319 | 37 |
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What is Ishan Kishan's record in red-ball format?
| Format | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s / 100s | High Score | Catches | Stumpings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 2 | 3 | 78 | 78.00 | 85.71 | 1 / - | 52* | 5 | 0 |
| FC | 50 | 85 | 3063 | 39.26 | 69.25 | 17 / 6 | 273 | 104 | 11 |
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What is Dhruv Jurel's record in red-ball format?
| Format | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s / 100s | High Score | Catches | Stumpings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC | 15 | 19 | 790 | 46.47 | 56.63 | 5 / 1 | 249 | 34 | 2 |
How has KS Bharat performed in the series against England?
Bharat has scored 92 runs in four innings in the ongoing Test series against England. For a batter to provide comfort in the batting order, Bharat should be doing more on home soil. He has failed to record a single half-century in his four innings.
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | High Score | Catches | Stumpings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4 | 92 | 23.00 | 48.16 | 41 | 5 | 0 |
Who should be India's wicketkeeper in the 3rd Test against England?
Team India could alter their choices for the wicketkeeper position ahead of the third Test in Rajkot. Both Dhruv Jurel and Ishan Kishan are fearless and possess aggressive batting styles. It would be a matter of choice based on experience.
If the team would want experience, then Kishan should get the nod over Dhruv Jurel.
However, Jurel's outing with the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2023 would not keep him behind for long. If Dhruv were selected for the third Test, he would mark his Indian debut for the senior team.
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