Rishabh Pant, who sustained an injury to his right foot on Day 1 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, will not be performing wicket-keeping duties for the remainder of the match, BCCI confirmed on Thursday. Instead, Dhruv Jurel will take over the gloves. Despite the setback, Pant rejoined the team on Day 2 and will be available to bat if required.As TimesofIndia.com had reported, Pant has fractured his toe, potentially ruling him out of the rest of the Test series. However, with additional medical assessments completed, the 27-year-old was seen at the ground wearing a moon boot — an orthopaedic protective support — to stabilise the injury.
Pant was forced to retire hurt on 37 during India’s first innings after a Chris Woakes delivery slammed into his right foot while attempting a reverse sweep. While he was saved from an LBW dismissal due to a faint bottom edge, the physical damage was obvious — swelling, visible bleeding, and his inability to put weight on the foot necessitated immediate medical attention.
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Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!India, already trailing 1-2 in the five-match series, now face a tough balancing act. Pant’s unavailability behind the stumps leaves the team with limited options.KL Rahul, who has previously kept wickets, has not done so since the South Africa tour in 2023-24 and is nursing his own fitness concerns.Ishan Kishan, who played County cricket recently and was part of the India A squad, is not with the main squad. Additionally, as TimesofIndia.com can report, he met with an accident and is not fit to begin with.That leaves Dhruv Jurel, the reserve keeper, to be handed the gloves mid-match despite not featuring in the playing XI initially.
Rishabh Pant was forced to retire hurt on the first day of the fourth Test. (AP Photo)
Pant’s absence as a keeper will be felt not just tactically but also emotionally — he is among the few batters in the current Indian line-up capable of altering the course of a Test with sheer audacity. That was evident in the way fans, pundits and teammates alike waited for updates on his condition as Day 2 began.This is Pant’s second injury in the series. He had earlier suffered an index finger injury during the third Test at Lord’s, which had prevented him from keeping wickets.India’s growing injury list now includes Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akash Deep, and Arshdeep Singh. The team is walking a fine line between survival and collapse, especially with just one Test — at The Oval, starting July 31 — remaining in the series.
