Former England captain Michael Vaughan has pointed out how the contest will effectively be reduced to 11 vs 10 with four days left and suggested that teams be allowed option to introduce a substitute player in the eventuality of someone in their eleven getting seriously injured. “I don’t like the fact that we’ve got four days left in the game – four days of action in what has been an incredible series – where we are going to have ten versus eleven,” Vaughan said on Test Match Special. “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,” he added.
India vs England: India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant was taken off the field after being struck on the foot during the opening day of the Manchester Test. Pant is unlikely to take further part in the game.
India endured a significant setback on the opening day of the fourth Test at Manchester as Rishabh Pant was forced off the field after sustaining a painful blow to his right foot. The incident occurred late in the final session on Wednesday, July 23, when Chris Woakes delivered a sharp yorker that beat Pant’s attempted no-look sweep and struck him flush on the foot, just below the toe.

Pant was visibly in distress immediately after the impact. The physios rushed in, and after a brief assessment on the field, he was taken off via a cabby ambulance for further treatment. Broadcast visuals revealed swelling and even a small cut near the affected area, raising concerns about the extent of the damage. The Indian team management is expected to have the injury thoroughly assessed to determine his availability for the remainder of the match. This incident marks an unfortunate trend for Pant, who had also picked up an injury during the first day of the previous Test at Lord’s. While keeping wickets, he sustained a finger injury that ruled him out of continuing behind the stumps. Despite that setback, he came out to bat later in the match and played a key role in extending the contest to the final day. India had made a promising start earlier in the day, with half-centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan pushing them past the 200-run mark. However, the side has struggled to stitch together a lasting partnership in the middle order, and Pant was expected to anchor the innings with his counter-attacking presence.
Ponting, speaking to Sky Sports, said the signs were ominous: “He hardly put his foot on the ground. He rolled around for 6-8 minutes before the golf cart came out. 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.” Pant’s absence could severely dent India’s chances, especially as they trail 1-2 in the five-match series. “The momentum he brings to the Indian team — that’s what they potentially miss the most,” Ponting added.
“Someone who can break the game open and put pressure back on the opposition.” India’s Sai Sudharsan, who top-scored with 61, said Pant “was in a lot of pain” and confirmed he had gone for scans. “We’ll get to know overnight ,” he added.
Former England Captain Alastair Cook though has a different view on it. Cook asked what happens if it’s just a bruise which renders a batter unable to hold a bat? “I’m not sure I agree,” said Cook. “I’m not even sure what I think at the moment. But say we’ve just seen Pant walk off – he looks in all kinds of pain. And then it turns out it’s not broken. “So there’s nothing on the X-ray, it’s just a bruise. Does he have to play on then? If he has broken his foot, then that’s a different thing.” “But there will be cases where someone gets hit on the arm. ‘I can’t move my hand, I’m bruised.’ But it’s only a bruise. So do you get replaced because of discomfort and the fact that you can’t hold the bat as well as you’d like – even though it’s just a bruise?” he added.