India wicket keeper Rishabh Pant suffered another injury as he had to be helped off the field during the opening day of the 4th India vs England Test in Manchester on Thursday. The incident happened in the 68th over when Pant tried to reverse sweep a Chris Woakes delivery and was hit flush on his ankle. The player immediately went down and the physios came on the field to check on him.
His foot was swollen and the wicketkeeper-batter had to be taken off the field by a small vehicle as he couldn’t even walk out on his own accord. Ravindra Jadeja replaced him for the time being in the middle. Pant was batting on 37 when he went off retired hurt.
“Rishabh Pant was hit on his right foot while batting on Day 1 of the Manchester Test. He was taken for scans from the stadium. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress,” the BCCI said in a statement later on Wednesday.
𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲:
Rishabh Pant was hit on his right foot while batting on Day 1 of the Manchester Test.
He was taken for scans from the stadium.
The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress.
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 23, 2025
This injury was a fresh blow for a player who had hurt himself in the 3rd test at Manchester as well when he got rapped on his thumb. He had to go off the field there as well and took no part in wicketkeeping duties with Dhruv Jurel donning the gloves for the remainder of that match. Pant, however, batted in both innings.
Earlier, there were more twists in England’s thrilling series against India as three wickets in the afternoon session on Wednesday helped the hosts drag themselves back into contention on day one of fourth test, the tourists sitting on 149-3 at tea.
Rishabh Pant is driven off the field of play after suffering some severe swelling on his right foot and Ravindra Jadeja walks out to the middle… 🩹 pic.twitter.com/vJlu5CABQ8
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 23, 2025
India resumed on 78-0 after lunch with England desperately needing a breakthrough. Veteran Chris Woakes delivered the goods, finding KL Rahul’s edge, the opener falling four short of his half century.
Yashasvi Jaiswal passed his 12th fifty shortly after, the most half centuries by any batter since his debut in July 2023. However, he did not last much longer as England spinner Liam Dawson took a test wicket for the first time in eight years, Jaiswal edging through to Zak Crawley at second slip when on 58.
The big wicket just before tea further swung the momentum back in England’s favour as Shubman Gill, with three centuries already this series, was trapped leg before wicket by Stokes having scored just 12.
The India skipper has registered only 34 runs in his last three innings. The Old Trafford crowd took great delight in Gill’s departure, given his complaints over England’s conduct in the last test at Lord’s.
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Leading 2-1 in the five-test series, risk-taking England captain Ben Stokes had ignored historical precedent and put India in to bat first — no side winning the toss and bowling first has ever won a test at Old Trafford previously.
