India’s growing injury crisis in the ongoing Test series against England deepened further after star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant suffered a painful blow to his toe in the first innings, ruling him out of wicketkeeping duties for the remainder of the fourth Test in Manchester.
It was later revealed that Pant had fractured his toe, a significant setback for the Indian camp already grappling with a long list of fitness concerns.
The injury occurred during India's batting at Old Trafford.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Pant, who had an injury scare earlier in this series, was struck hard on the toe by a Chris Woakes delivery while batting in the opening innings. The impact was severe enough to sideline him from behind the stumps, with Dhruv Jurel stepping in as a makeshift wicketkeeper.
Pant, however, was cleared to bat in the second innings, a confirmation that came directly from India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak on Saturday.
“Rishabh Pant will bat tomorrow,” Kotak said at the end of Day 4, signalling that while his mobility behind the stumps may be compromised, the team will still count on his batting to help salvage a draw.
India’s injury list in this series has grown increasingly concerning, with frontline pacers Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep ruled out entirely.
Pant’s setback adds another dimension to the challenge India face going into a pivotal Day 5 at Old Trafford.
Despite the grim context, India showed signs of fight through the unbeaten partnership between KL Rahul (87 not out) and Shubman Gill (78 not out), who guided the visitors to 174/2 at stumps on Day 4, still trailing England by 137 runs.
With Pant likely to come in at No. 5 or 6, his ability to bat through pain could be vital if India are to save the match and keep the series alive.
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