Pant Out as Wicketkeeper, India Hit by Injuries

Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of wicketkeeping duties in the Manchester Test against England after fracturing his right toe attempting a reverse sweep on Day 1, though he remains available to bat under medical supervision. Pant, who retired hurt on 37, is wearing a protective moon boot and is expected to miss the final Test at The Oval, with Ishan Kishan likely to be called up as cover. Dhruv Jurel will take over wicketkeeping for the rest of the match. The Indian squad faces further setbacks with additional injuries to Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akash Deep, and Arshdeep Singh. Pant's aggressive batting cameo was a rare bright spot in India's otherwise weak performance as they trail 1-2 in the five-match series. The situation has also intensified debate regarding cricket’s substitution rules amid India’s mounting injury crisis.