Former England captain Michael Atherton was worried about India’s plight after Rishabh Pant got injured during Day 1 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford. While India were 264 for 4 at stumps, the atmosphere in the camp was subdued by Pant’s untimely departure from the field due to injury towards the end of the day. Pant got injured when he tried a reverse sweep off a full-length ball from Chris Woakes. Although England appealed for an LBW and reviewed the decision, replays confirmed an inside edge before the ball hit Pant’s right foot.
Pant was in good touch with a 37 off 48 balls, but after the injury he was obviously in pain. The medical officials rushed on the field, and he was subsequently taken off in a buggy before being sent to a hospital for scans. The Indian medical team is keeping a close check on his condition.
Talking to Sky Cricket after the match, Atherton indicated that the warning signs were worrying and expressed concern that a sustained absence for Pant, perhaps throughout the series, would be a severe blow to India’s chances.
“If he is out of the game…if he’s out of the series, then that’s a massive blow to India and puts the day in a different light. That 264 for four becomes 264 for five, and with that new ball due, there is a potential to knock India over reasonably swiftly tomorrow. But if he returns to bat, he could change the game. So there is an uncertainty which we don’t know. But it looked like a quite serious injury, because you don’t get carted off otherwise,” he said.
Sai Sudharsan, who made his comeback with a maiden Test fifty in this significant of significance, said the team would be hearing an official word on Pant’s availability the following morning. He also assured that the batting arsenal was ready to take the responsibility if Pant was unable to.
India started the day off on a good note, making it through the first session unscathed. They received a jolt just before tea, though. Chris Woakes ended the 94-run opening stand by getting rid of KL Rahul, and then Liam Dawson, playing his first Test match since 2017, got Yashasvi Jaiswal out. England captain Ben Stokes then had two wickets in his bag as he got India skipper Shubman Gill out first and then came back to get dismiss Sudharsan out in the last session.
