India’s injury concerns mounted on Day 1 of the 4th Test at Old Trafford, as wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was forced to retire hurt after suffering a painful blow to his foot. Coming in after the dismissal of captain Shubman Gill, Pant looked in fluent touch, scoring 37 off 48 balls before the unfortunate incident occurred. Facing Chris Woakes, Pant attempted a reverse sweep but missed the delivery completely and was struck straight on the right boot. England appealed for LBW, but the on-field call was not out. On review, UltraEdge showed a faint edge, saving Pant. However, the real concern was the damage done by the impact. There was a visible swelling, some bleeding, and immense discomfort as the player was forced off the pitch.
Pant received immediate medical attention as umpires called for drinks. Unable to stand or continue, he was helped off the field by the physio. Moments later, a small ambulance cart was brought in to take him away, with the 27-year-old visibly in agony.After being helped off the field in a mobile ambulance, the player has now been taken for scans and further treatment to asses the seriousness of his injury.Having already battled a finger injury earlier in the series, this latest setback casts doubt over Pant’s availability for the remainder of the match. Substitute Dhruv Jurel had assumed wicketkeeping duties for the majority of the Lord’s Test after Pant injured his left index finger. However, the player was all set to return behind the stumps in the penultimate Test, although his most recent setback has now cast a huge shadow of doubt over his continual in the remainder of the Test at Old Trafford. Ravindra Jadeja came in as the next batter, joining Sai Sudharsan at the crease.India started off Day 1 in solid fashion, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul steering India to 78-0 at lunch. However, it was the second session that saw the visitors lose steam and let go of the opening pair before captain Shubman Gill also lost his wicket for just 12 runs. Pant retired hurt before Sai Sudharsan also got out to Ben Stokes trying to hit a pull shot and got a top edge. The 23-year-old however, scored 61 from 151 balls, his best run tally of the series so far.
