Rishabh Pant is yet to join Team India’s bio-bubble in Durham ahead of their warm-up game against a Select County XI starting Tuesday at Chester-le-Street.

Wriddhiman Saha, the other wicketkeeper in the squad, is also in isolation after he was found to be a close contact of throw-down specialist Dayanand Garani — the other member besides Pant to be Covid-19 positive. KL Rahul will have to keep wickets during the three-day match.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah, in a media release on July 15, had said that Pant was asymptomatic and was nearing “completion” of his ten-day quarantine period. However, it was learnt that the Indians want to give him adequate rest before the first Test.

This will be the Virat Kohli-led team’s only practice match before the first Test from August 4.

Bowling coach Bharat Arun, Saha and Abhimanyu Easwaran are in London after they were found to be close contacts of Garani and will have to go through RT-PCR tests before being cleared to join the camp in Durham.

With Shubman Gill also ruled out for the first half of the Test series because of a shin injury, Mayank Agarwal will open with Rohit Sharma.