TimesofIndia.com in Manchester: England all-rounder Liam Dawson expressed concern for Rishabh Pant, who suffered a painful blow to his right foot and was forced to retire hurt on Day 1 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford. “Thoughts with Rishabh Pant, but can’t see him take any further part in the match,” Dawson told reporters after stumps, reflecting the seriousness of the injury.Pant, batting fluently on 37 off 47 balls, was struck while attempting a reverse sweep off Chris Woakes. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The ball smashed into his boot, leaving him writhing in pain. England went up in appeal for LBW, but UltraEdge showed a faint under-edge, sparing Pant from dismissal. However, the injury was severe enough to halt his innings.Medical staff rushed onto the field as Pant lay on the ground. There were signs of swelling and bleeding on his right foot, and after initial treatment, he was carried off by the physio before being transported on a medical cart. Later, Pant left the ground in an ambulance, accompanied by the team doctor and support staff. BCCI confirmed he was taken for scans, stating, “Rishabh Pant was hit on his right foot while batting on Day 1 of the Manchester Test. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress.”
India had earlier made a strong start after being put into bat, with KL Rahul (46) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (58) putting together a 94-run opening stand. However, England struck back in the second session with Woakes removing Rahul, Dawson dismissing Jaiswal, and skipper Ben Stokes (2/47) trapping Shubman Gill (12).Sai Sudharsan (61 off 151) anchored the middle order before falling to Stokes. At stumps, Ravindra Jadeja (19 not out) and Shardul Thakur (19 not out) were unbeaten, guiding India to 264/4.Pant’s fitness remains a major talking point ahead of Day 2, with Dhruv Jurel likely to keep wickets if he is ruled out.
