People will remember the images of Rishabh Pant taking the field with a broken foot for a very long toe. Regardless of the outcome of the ongoing fourth Test between England and India in Manchester, Pant's bluster will be compared to that of Anil Kumble, who bowled for India 23 years ago despite having a broken jaw. When runs were scarce for India, Pant took painkillers to finish with a valiant half-century. It came at a time when applying even the slightest force on his foot might cause him to wince in agony.
When Pant walked out to bat, everyone in the Old Trafford press box, including journalists and broadcasters, got up to cheer him on. They flocked to the front row to see if Pant would bat after India lost the wicket of Shardul Thakur.
However, it appears that not everyone was pleased with Pant's boldness. The way Pant took his time and limped down the stairs of the dressing room at the legendary lounge, a short distance from the press box, did not impress everyone.
"I’ve never had a metatarsal, which I think is somewhere in the foot, seeing Rishabh Pant. I have had a smashed hand against Andy Roberts and a broken cheekbone. I couldn't bat on after either, although I think I did continue when I had a broken finger. Pant looked in pain; pretty heroic of him to come out, though. Northerners, whether they are tough enough, but I was in that legends lounge today, and the consensus was 'He has milking that injury. It can’t be that bad. He's milked it, coming down those steps, and one or two said, 'He should be timed out,'" said former English cricketer David Lloyd for talkSPORT Cricket.
Nathan Lyon experienced a similar situation during the 2023 Ashes. Because it took him so long to get through the Long Room and onto the field, the Australian spinner was concerned that he would be "timed out" when he walked out to bat at Lord's, essentially on one leg.
However, Pant's injury sparked a long-silent debate about the necessity of substitutes in cases of external injuries. The reason Pant had to bat was because, in his absence, the match was now between India's 10 and England's 11.
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Although Dhruv Jurel will take Pant's place behind the wicket, unlike a concussion-sub, he is not permitted to bat for the injured India star due to the outdated substitution rule. Parthiv Patel, a former wicketkeeper for India, is opposed to the rule being relaxed. Although Lloyd dislikes runners, he has no problem with substitutes being able to bowl and bat.
"I probably am against runners, but I am pro substitutes for an external injury. It opens up a can of worms, it really does. But if it is an external injury, a break and medically he isn’t going to be fit for six weeks, you could have a like-for-like substitute. So that’s something else that you've got to consider. Not like replace a batter with a spinner though," he added.
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