India captain Rohit Sharma, has provided a crucial update on wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who suffered a blow to his knee on Day 2 of the first Test against New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Pant, received a blow to his knee, and he subsequently walked off the field on Day 2. The left-handed batter did come out to bat in the second innings, and he played a knock of 99, but he did not take the field as a wicketkeeper in the final innings.

At the post-match press conference, Rohit Sharma gave an update on Pant, saying the team management would be extra careful with him. However, he remained tight-lipped regarding Pant's availability in the second Test against New Zealand, set to begin in Pune on October 24.

"Yeah, look, about his injury, he has had a massive operation on his leg, so we all know what we went through. It is just about being a little careful of where's he's at and what he is to us. Even when he was batting, he was not comfortably running. He was only trying to put the ball into the stands but again, with someone like him, we need to be extra careful," said Rohit.

"He is someone who has minor surgeries, one big surgery on his knee and he went through a lot of trauma, to be honest. It is just about being extra careful, not careful. When you are keeping, you have to bend every ball with your knee going down and with the wicket being what it was, we thought it was right for him to stay inside and get ready for the next one," Rohit added.

Rohit Sharma praises Rishabh Pant's 99-run knock

The Indian captain also hailed Rishabh Pant and his attitude towards batting. "No one knows what goes in his mind, he decides what he wants to do and that is the kind of freedom, we want to give to him because he has produced performances with that kind of mindset."

"We spoke to him, 'please understand the situation and stuff like that', but that's Rishabh, he wants to play in a certain way, and as a captain and coach, we want to back that. Let him go and play freely," Rohit said.

During the same press conference, Rohit Sharma also provided an update on Shubman Gill, saying the youngster is doing fine. For the unversed, Gill had missed the opening Test against New Zealand due to a neck spasm.

Coming back to the Test between India and New Zealand, the visitors won their first Test in India after 36 years. The Tom Latham-led side defeated Rohit Sharma and co, by eight wickets.

India and New Zealand will now square off in the 2nd Test in Pune, beginning October 24.

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