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Will Rishabh Pant Be Fit For Day 2 vs ENG? Nitish Kumar Reddy Provides Massive Injury Update

Sakshi Sharma

Rishabh Pant Injury update (Source:@Jay_Cricket12,x.com)Rishabh Pant Injury update (Source:@Jay_Cricket12,x.com)

India suffered a significant setback on Day 1 of the third Test against England at Lord’s as vice-captain and in-form wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant walked off the field after sustaining a finger injury. The incident occurred during the 34th over of England’s first innings, shortly after the lunch break, leaving India uncertain about Pant's availability for the remainder of the match.

Pant Injured During Full-Stretch Dive

The injury took place when Pant attempted a full-stretch dive to his left to collect a leg-side delivery from Jasprit Bumrah, which England batter Ollie Pope had missed. The ball struck Pant on the tip of his left-hand fingers, causing immediate and visible discomfort. The team physio rushed onto the field, applying the magic spray and taping Pant’s fingers, allowing him to continue briefly.

However, Pant chose to walk off at the end of the over, clearly still in pain. He was replaced behind the stumps by young wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, who took over the glovework for the rest of the day.

In June, the ICC announced plans to trial full-injury replacements in domestic first-class cricket. The proposed rule would allow teams to substitute an injured player with a fully participating like-for-like player if the injury occurs during play or pre-match warm-ups. 

However, the rule is scheduled to come into effect only in October and will remain on trial for six months.

Dhruv Jurel Can Keep Wickets, But Cannot Bat

While Jurel has been permitted to keep wickets in both innings under the ICC’s current regulations, he is not allowed to bat in place of Pant. This presents a serious dilemma for India. The ICC only allows full player replacements in cases of concussion, and any substitute must be chosen from the pre-submitted list of replacements.

This means that unless Pant recovers in time, India may be forced to bat a player short in a crucial match at the venue.

Rishabh Pant's absence, if confirmed, would be a significant blow to India’s chances in the ongoing Test and the series. The 26-year-old has been in sensational form, amassing 342 runs in four innings at an average of 85.50. He has already registered two centuries and a fifty in the series, including twin tons in the second Test at Leeds.

Team Yet to Issue Medical Update

No official update has been released by the BCCI or the team medical staff regarding Pant’s condition. During the post-day press conference, Nitish Reddy stated,

"To be honest, I just came out of the field and I do not know anything about it, but since I did not hear anything from anyone, we will get to know tomorrow morning before we go back."