Rishabh Pant injury update: Should India be allowed a substitute? Here is what Michael Vaughan said

Injuries continue to haunt Team India, as wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant became the latest entrant to the list, copping a blow on his right foot on the opening day of the crucial fourth Test in Manchester, and retiring hurt.

 

Pant was batting on 37 off 48 balls, when he attempted a reverse sweep off England pacer Chris Woakes in the 68^th over and the ball hit his foot. He first received on-field medical aid but had to be taken off the field in a golf cart as Pant was seen grimacing in pain. His right foot was bleeding and had swelled as well.

 

After the end of the day's play, the BCCI said in a statement, "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 fresh injury comes days after Pant hurt his finger while keeping in the third Test at the Lord's. Dhruv Jurel kept the wickets in England's second innings.

 

India are already reeling under injuries, with pacers Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy being unavailable for selection. The visitors drafted in pacer Anshul Kamboj, and brought back Sai Sudharshan and Shardul Thakur for the Manchester Test.

 

Will Rishabh Pant play again in Manchester Test?

 

Pant has, reportedly, suffered a metatarsal fracture, and is unlikely to bat in the rest of the match. Scans have been done and a formal update is expected from the BCCI soon.

 

With Pant getting injured on day one of the Test itself, former England skipper Michael Vaughan said India should be allowed a substitute since “four days of 10 vs 11 isn’t right”.

 

“I don’t like the fact that we have got four days left in the game, four days of action in what has been an incredible series where we are going to have 10 versus 11,” Vaughan told BBC Sports. He called for a change in the substitution rule too, which currently allows a substitute player on in concussion cases.

 

“I prefer that you’d have a sub. You know, once they brought in concussion subs, I was crying out, saying, ‘Well, just have substitutions then in the first innings of a game.’ That would be my stepping point. If it happens in the second innings, I feel that team might kind of break the rules or indulge in a bit of skullduggery. But if it’s clear and obvious when someone breaks a hand or a foot or ruptures a calf it’s so evident that someone is in real pain and can’t carry on. I think it’s very clear to me: you should be allowed a sub,” Vaughan said.

 

Who will replace Rishabh Pant?

 

Jurel is, once again expected to keep wickets in Pant’s absence. But, the fact that he conceded 26 byes in England's second innings at Lord’s while filling in for Pant then, might go against him when the selectors and team management finalise a replacement for the last Test at The Oval in case Pant isn’t fit.

 

Ishan Kishan is another name doing the rounds. The 26-year-old recently played two County matches for Nottinghamshire, and was also part of the India A squad that played against the England Lions ahead of the India-England Test series. He, however, did not feature in the playing XI in either of the two matches.

 

KL Rahul is another option, as he has donned the keeping gloves in white-ball cricket, but he has not kept wickets in Tests since the 2023-24 tour of South Africa.

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