Rishabh Pant and India suffered a massive blow in the final hour of play on Day 1 of the Old Trafford Test against England as the wicket-keeper injured himself after missing out on an audacious shot across the line. Pant was wincing and grimacing in pain as he lay flat on the ground as the physio tended to his right foot, which had swollen considerably with a bloodied cut.
In the 68th over of India’s innings, Pant tried a pre-empted reverse sweep against seamer Chris Woakes but missed, taking a hit on his right boot. He instantly began to hobble, took off his gloves, and called for the physio. Pant was later taken off the ground in the medical team’s cart and former cricketers Ricky Ponting and Michael Atherton feel he may have done considerable damage to the foot.
“He (Pant) hardly put his foot on the ground. The immediate swelling was the worry for me. I’ve had a metatarsal injury myself, and they’re small, fragile bones. The fact he couldn’t put any weight on it, it doesn’t look good at all,” Ponting said on Sky Sports.
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Pant’s injury meant that he retired hurt on 37 with Ravindra Jadeja replacing him out on the field. India soon lost the well-set Sai Sudharsan before Jadeja and Shardul Thakur saw off the day, taking India to 264 for four at stumps.
“If he is out of the game…if he’s out of the series, then that’s a massive blow to India and puts the day in a different light. That 264 for four becomes 264 for five, and with that new ball due, there is a potential to knock India over reasonably swiftly tomorrow. But if he returns to bat, he could change the game. So there is an uncertainty which we don’t know. But it looked like a quite serious injury, because you don’t get carted off otherwise,” said Michael Atherton.
The BCCI later updated that Pant was taken for scans.
“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 posted on X. If Pant fails to take the field, Dhruv Jurel will be drafted in as the substitute wicket-keeper as was seen during the Lord’s Test after Pant injured his thumb while keeping to Jasprit Bumrah.
