Indiaโs fourth Test against England at Old Trafford took a concerning turn when star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant sustained a foot injury during his innings. The incident occurred while Pant was building a solid partnership with Sai Sudharsan. Midway through his promising knock, Pant was forced to retire hurt after injuring his right foot, prompting uncertainty around his participation in the rest of the Test match.
Pant had scored a confident 37 off 48 balls and added 72 runs with Sudharsan before the injury struck in the 68th over. Attempting a reverse sweep off Chris Woakes, the ball took an inside edge and struck Pantโs foot. Although England went for a review thinking it was LBW, replays confirmed the ball had touched the bat first. Despite that, Pant was clearly in agony and couldn’t put weight on his injured foot. He received medical attention on the field but had to be taken off on a stretcher buggy.
Sanjiv Goenka Sends a Message of Strength
The news of Pantโs injury sparked reactions from across the cricketing community. Among the notable messages came one from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka, who expressed heartfelt support for Pant and hoped for a speedy recovery.
โ๐๐๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐๐๐โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐,โ ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
This is particularly significant as Pant recently made a strong comeback to international cricket after a life-threatening car accident in 2022 followed by a long rehabilitation period.
Sudharsan Shares Update on Pantโs Condition
Following the dayโs play, Sai Sudharsan offered an update on Pantโs condition during a post-match interview.
โ๐ถ๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ช๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐,โ ๐บ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ .
Sudharsan added that the team would certainly miss Pantโs presence in the middle but expressed confidence in the remaining batting lineup to make up for the loss.
India Ends Day 1 in a Strong Position Despite Setback
Despite the loss of Pant, India closed Day 1 in a commanding position at 264/4 after 83 overs. Yashasvi Jaiswal (58) and KL Rahul (46) gave India a robust start with a 94-run opening stand. Sudharsan continued the momentum by scoring his maiden Test half-century (61), while captain Shubman Gill managed just 12.
Later, Ravindra Jadeja (19*) and Shardul Thakur (19*) saw off the remaining overs to take India safely to stumps. The injury to Pant remains a major concern, but Indiaโs overall performance on Day 1 kept them in a promising position.
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