India captain Rohit Sharma gives injury update on Rishabh Pant

India slipped to an eight-wicket loss in the first Test, despite a magnificent fightback led by Sarfaraz Khan (150) and Rishabh Pant (99).

But Pant’s heroics came after he was forced to leave the field earlier in the match having been struck on his knee, and he was unable to take up his usual role as wicketkeeper in the fourth and final innings of the match.

His captain Rohit Sharma revealed that India’s use of Pant was precautionary, but soreness meant he wasn’t comfortable running during his superb batting effort.

"He's had a massive operation on his leg, so we all know what he went through,” Rohit said.

"It's just to be a little careful about where he is at and what he is to us. Even when he was batting, he was not comfortably running. He was trying to only put the ball in the stands.”

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This Test was Pant’s third since making his comeback following serious injuries sustained in a life-threatening car crash in December 2022.

During his recovery he underwent significant surgery on his knee, and there were concerns in Bengaluru when he was seen limping from the field after being hit on the knee roll by Ravindra Jadeja's delivery in the 37th over of the New Zealand innings.

Subsequent comments confirmed that his knee had suffered swelling, and India were keen to continue monitoring him and treating Pant with caution. And that caution is why Pant did not keep wicket on Sunday, according to his captain.

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"He's had a lot of minor surgeries, one big surgery on his knee, and he went through a lot of trauma, to be honest, in the last one-and-a-half years," Rohit said. "So it's just about being extra careful, not careful with him.

"When you're keeping, you have to bend every ball with your knee going down and the wicket being what it was, we thought it is the right thing to do for him to stay inside and then get 100% ready for the next one."

In the Test, India were bowled out for 46, their lowest total in a home Test, in the first innings after an impressive bowling display by the visitors.

In response, New Zealand racked up 402, and even the heroics from Sarfaraz and Pant were unable to prevent the Black Caps knocking off their fourth-innings target to win the Test by eight wickets.

It is just the fifth time India have lost at home in a Test since 2012, with Australia and England the previous teams to have done so, two-times apiece.

England are the last team to have won a Test series in India, in 2012, and New Zealand will set about ending that 12-year streak in the second Test in Pune, which starts on October 24.