Rishabh Pant Leaves the Field Hurt in Late Day 1 Twist

💥 Injury Blow! Rishabh Pant Walks Off Hurt as India Suffers Another Setback in Manchester Test

Manchester, July 23 – Team India’s injury woes deepened on the opening day of the fourth Test against England as star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was forced to leave the field after sustaining a painful blow during the third session.

Already dealing with the absence of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Akash Deep, who were ruled out due to pre-match injuries, India’s lineup took another hit when Pant was struck on his right foot by a fiery Chris Woakes delivery.

📉 The Incident
The blow came in the 68th over when Pant attempted a risky reverse sweep but ended up edging the ball onto his foot. Clearly in discomfort, the southpaw received immediate on-field treatment from the physio but couldn’t continue and walked off the field, leaving Indian fans worried.

🧤 Pant’s Performance Before Injury
Pant looked solid before the unfortunate incident, scoring 37 runs off 48 balls, including two boundaries and a six. His departure came at a crucial point as India looked to stabilize their innings after a promising start.

🩺 Mounting Injury Concerns for India
The loss of Pant added to India’s growing injury list, with the team already missing key all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and pace prospect Akash Deep – both of whom picked up injuries in the build-up to the Manchester clash.

⚔️ Strong Start, Sudden Slip
India, having been sent in to bat after losing the toss, kicked off Day 1 confidently. Openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal stitched together a 94-run stand to lay a solid foundation. However, England clawed back with timely wickets across the second and third sessions to halt India’s momentum.

📊 Series Context
England leads the five-match ICC World Test Championship series 2-1, making this Manchester Test a must-win for India to stay alive in the contest.