ENG vs IND 2025: By the time the first day of the fourth Test ended on Wednesday, July 23, at Old Trafford in Manchester, a wave of worry had already run through the Indian camp. While Sai Sudarshan batted fearlessly on one hand, on the other hand, a big concern arose about Rishabh Pant.
The pair of Pant and Sudarshan started scoring runs rapidly. Pant scored 37 runs in just 48 balls, and his innings included two fours and a six off his bat, but the picture of the game suddenly changed in the last session. Pant tried to reverse sweep a ball from Chris Woakes. The ball hit his right leg directly. England made a strong appeal for LBW, but the umpire rejected it. Captain Ben Stokes took DRS, but the replay clearly showed that there was an inside edge off the bat.
The matter did not stop here. Pant's condition worsened after being hit by the ball. He bent down near the pitch, groaning in pain, then started removing the pads. The Indian physio came running to the field, but the situation did not improve. After a while, he was taken out of the field on a stretcher and then taken out of the stadium in an ambulance.
At the press conference after the end of the day, Sai Sudarshan shared some important updates about Pant's injury. He said that Pant's condition was really serious, and now the results of the scan are awaited. He admitted that Pant's exclusion from the team would be a big blow, but at the same time, he also said that the rest of the batsmen of the team are ready to take on additional responsibility. He hoped that they would try to compensate for this loss by batting long.
“He was in a lot of pain definitely, but they've gone for scans. We'll get to know overnight, probably get the information tomorrow. Obviously he will be a big miss, because he was batting really well today as well, and plus we miss out on a batter. If he doesn't come back again it will definitely have consequences. But at the same time, the batters who are batting right now and there are a few more all-rounders inside. We'll try and give our best and bat long so that we negotiate that loss very well," said Sudharsan in the press conference at the end of the day’s play.
In my opinion, if a player like Rishabh Pant is on the field, then the confidence of the whole team is different. He not only scores runs, but also fills the dressing room with energy. If he is not able to play further in this Test, then India will not only miss a batsman but also a source of inspiration. Now the rest of the batsmen will have to gear up and cover Pant's absence with their batting display.
