India captain Shubman Gill confirmed on Tuesday that Rishabh Pant will return to wicketkeeping duties for the crucial fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, starting July 23.

Pant’s return behind the stumps comes as a timely boost for the visitors, who are dealing with a spate of injuries. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has already been ruled out for the remainder of the series, while left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh remains unavailable. Akash, who appeared to struggle with a hip niggle during the Lord’s Test, will also sit out the Manchester game.

Pant had injured his finger during the third Test and managed to keep for only 35 overs, with Dhruv Jurel taking over the gloves for the remainder of the match. Jurel endured a difficult outing, conceding 25 byes in England’s second innings as India lost a close contest by 22 runs. On Monday, Pant underwent a lengthy two-hour training session and was declared fit to take full responsibility behind the stumps.