Rishabh Pant's Injury Triggers Debate Over Substitution: 'Four Days Left, It's 10 Vs 11'
Rishabh Pant's injury on the opening day of the 4th Test between India and England has Michael Vaughan suggest introduction of subs in cricket.
With a full four days left in the Manchester Test, India are in danger of being reduced to 10 batters against England after Rishabh Pant copped a blow to his right foot that forced him off the field on the opening day. While the severity of Pant's injury is still unknown, former cricketers including Ravi Shastri, Ricky Ponting, Michael Atherton are concerned that the reaction from Pant indicates it could be quite serious and potentially end his England tour prematurely.
With the fate of the series hinging on the result of the 4th Test that got underway at Old Trafford on Wednesday, India's hopes of drawing level with England will be seriously hurt if Pant is unable to take the field again in the contest. The Shubman Gill-led side is trailing 1-2 and Pant is the in-form batter having scored two centuries and as many half-centuries so far.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has pointed out how the contest will effectively be reduced to 11 vs 10 with four days left and suggested that teams be allowed option to introduce a substitute player in the eventuality of someone in their eleven getting seriously injured.
'I don't like the fact that we've got four days left in the game – four days of action in what has been an incredible series – where we are going to have ten versus eleven," Vaughan said on Test Match Special. 'I prefer that you'd have a sub. You know, once they brought in concussion subs, I was crying out, saying, 'Well, just have substitutions then in the first innings of a game.' That would be my stepping point. If it happens in the second innings, I feel that team might kind of break the rules or indulge in a bit of skullduggery."
'But if it's clear and obvious – when someone breaks a hand or a foot or ruptures a calf – it's so evident that someone is in real pain and can't carry on. I think it's very clear to me: you should be allowed a sub," he added.
England legend Alastair Cook though has a different view on it.
Cook asked what happens if it's just a bruise which renders a batter unable to hold a bat?
'I'm not sure I agree," said Cook. 'I'm not even sure what I think at the moment. But say we've just seen Pant walk off – he looks in all kinds of pain. And then it turns out it's not broken. 'So there's nothing on the X-ray, it's just a bruise. Does he have to play on then? If he has broken his foot, then that's a different thing."
'But there will be cases where someone gets hit on the arm. 'I can't move my hand, I'm bruised.' But it's only a bruise. So do you get replaced because of discomfort and the fact that you can't hold the bat as well as you'd like – even though it's just a bruise?" he added.
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First Published:
July 24, 2025, 11:23 IST
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