India skipper Virat Kohli has said that Rishabh Pant will be behind the stumps in the first Test against England, scheduled to start in Chennai from Friday. Pant played a vital role with the bat in India's historic win at The Gabba, which saw the Ajinkya Rahane-led side beat the hosts at the venue for the first time in 32 years.
Pant stitched a flawless 89-run knock to take India home while chasing a challenging total of 326 on the final day of the series. Kohli also heaped praise on Pant's heroics in Brisbane.
"Things are very different from outside compared to what happens inside the dressing room. Not just between me and him (Rahane) but the whole team, camaraderie is based on trust. It was amazing to see how he led the team to win in Australia.
It's the mutual respect, bonding, on and off the field. The partnership will remain the same as ever," said Kohli in a press conference ahead of the first Test.
"Rishabh will take the gloves tomorrow. He has come along very nicely. He wasn't part of white ball formats, but kept putting in the hard yards. We have backed him quite a lot and for good reason - something you saw in Australia. He is someone opposition will be wary of the future.