UPDATE

Rishabh Pant ruled out of England tour with fractured toe

India suffer major setback as in-form wicketkeeper expected to miss up to six weeks

Last updated: July 24, 2025 | 12:21

2 MIN READ

India's Rishabh Pant reacts as he receives medical attention following a foot injury while playing on day one of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford.

AFP

Dubai: India’s fourth Test campaign at Old Trafford has been dealt a heavy blow, with star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant ruled out for up to six weeks due to a toe fracture, according to BCCI sources quoted in media reports. The injury not only rules him out of the remainder of the ongoing Test but also the fifth and final match of the England series at The Oval next week.

Also Read: India vs England fourth Test, Day Two: First hour crucial with new ball due and Pant injury cloud

Pant, who retired hurt on 37 after being struck on the right toe by a Chris Woakes delivery in the final session of Day 1, has been advised complete rest to recover from the fracture. Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan is expected to be called up as a cover for the Oval Test.

Swelling and bleeding

The injury occurred in the 68th over of India’s innings when Pant attempted a premeditated reverse sweep off Woakes. The ball took an inside edge and slammed into his front foot. The swelling — described as the size of a table tennis ball — and visible bleeding left Pant unable to put any weight on the foot. He was taken off the field grimacing in pain, ferried away on a golf buggy after sharing a 72-run stand with Sai Sudharsan.

After the day’s play, Sudharsan revealed that Pant was in “a lot of pain” and had been sent for scans. “He was batting really well today. It will definitely have consequences if he can’t return,” Sudharsan said at the post-match press conference. “But the batters who are in now and a few more all-rounders in the side will try and cover for that.”

Pant’s absence is a major setback for India, especially considering the form he has shown this series — 462 runs at an average of 77 with two centuries and two fifties. On Wednesday, he also became the first wicketkeeper-batter in Test history to score over 1,000 runs in an away country.

Missing the firepower

India ended Day 1 on 264 for 4, with Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur both unbeaten on 19. England will start Day 2 with the second new ball and hopes of early breakthroughs, while India face the added challenge of recalibrating their batting strategy without one of their most dynamic scorers.

With the series at 2-1 in England’s favour, Pant’s injury could prove decisive in India’s push to level the five-match contest.

— With inputs from agencies

A.K.S. SatishSports Editor

From playing on the pitch to analysing it from the press box, Satish has spent over three decades living and breathing sport. A cricketer-turned-journalist, he has covered three Cricket World Cups, the 2025 Champions Trophy, countless IPL seasons, F1 races, horse racing classics, and tennis in Dubai. Cricket is his home ground, but he sees himself as an all-rounder - breaking stories, building pages, going live on podcasts, and interviewing legends across every corner of the sporting world. Satish started on the back pages, and earned his way to the front, now leading the sports team at Gulf News, where he has spent 25 years navigating the fast-evolving game of journalism. Whether it’s a Super-Over thriller or a behind-the-scenes story, he aims to bring insight, energy, and a fan’s heart to every piece. Because like sport, journalism is about showing up, learning every day, and giving it everything.