Rishabh Pant's Injury Raises Concerns for Team India in Third Test Against England

Team India Faces Setback with Rishabh Pant's Injury

On July 10, during the first day of the third Test match against England at Lord's, Team India encountered a significant challenge as vice-captain Rishabh Pant exited the field due to an injury. This incident occurred in the ongoing five-match series.

After losing the toss for the third time in a row, Indian captain Shubman Gill was asked to bat first by England's skipper Ben Stokes. The English openers, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, provided a solid start, effectively handling the early movement of the ball during the first hour.

While Duckett and Crawley aimed to build a strong partnership, Indian bowler Nitish Kumar Reddy struck first by dismissing Crawley for 23 runs, leaving England at 43/1 in the 13th over. Shortly after, Reddy claimed Crawley’s wicket for 18 runs, bringing England to 44/2 and giving India a much-needed boost.

Rishabh Pant's Injury Scare

As the first day progressed, concerns arose for Team India when Rishabh Pant showed signs of distress due to a finger injury during the second session. The incident occurred in the 33rd over of England's innings when Jasprit Bumrah bowled a delivery to Ollie Pope, who attempted to flick it but missed.

Pant dived to catch the ball but it struck his fingertips, causing him immediate pain. He signaled for medical assistance but continued to keep wickets for the remaining over. Eventually, he left the field, and Dhruv Jurel took over wicketkeeping duties.

Rishabh Pant's injury has raised alarms within the Indian camp, as his role as a wicketkeeper and aggressive middle-order batsman is vital for the team's success in this series against England.

Future of Rishabh Pant in the Test

Dhruv Jurel has stepped in as the substitute wicketkeeper while Pant receives treatment. The extent of Pant's injury remains unverified by the team management. He walked off the field visibly uncomfortable, with his fingers heavily bandaged to prevent further injury.

Team India is hopeful that Pant's injury will not be severe enough to keep him out of the ongoing Test, where they are striving to gain a crucial lead in the series. Pant has been in remarkable form, scoring 342 runs, including two centuries and a fifty, with an impressive average of 85.5 across four innings.

As the second session concluded, England had reached 151/8 after 48 overs, with Joe Root and Ollie Pope contributing 53 and 43 runs, respectively.