Rishabh Pant retired hurt, Sudharsan shines after Gill brainfade

Rishabh Pant’s injury cloud hangs over India after the end of Day 1 in the IND vs ENG 4th Test in Manchester. Pant was retired hurt after copping a blow to his foot in the final session of the day. India nonetheless battled through to 264/4 at Stumps, thanks to a gritty half-century from Sai Sudharsan.

The left-hander top scored on Day 1, with Yashasvi Jaiswal also scoring a fifty. KL Rahul and Jaiswal provided India a wicketless first session, before India lost three before Tea. Eventually, it was down to Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja to see off the day. For England, Ben Stokes was once again the leader of the pack, while Liam Dawson impressed on his return.

Rishabh Pant’s injury nightmare

Rishabh Pant did not keep wickets for the majority of the Lord’s Test after a finger injury. While he recovered from that blow, the Indian vice-captain was copped on the foot at Manchester. The 27-year-old was writhing in pain as he had to be taken off the field after a massive swelling. Pant was retired hurt and taken for scans, suggesting a likely fracture. The left-hander has been a lynchpin in India’s batting order and his absence would be a crucial blow to India’s chances.

Shubman Gill’s moment to forget

Shubman Gill hasn’t put a foot wrong so far in the India vs England series with bat in hand. Runs have flowed from the Indian captain’s blade, breaking records with every run scored. However, Gill had a morning to forget in the IND vs ENG 4th Test at Manchester. With the series on the line, the 25-year-old had a ‘brainfade’ getting trapped in front to Ben Stokes. Gill left alone an inswinger and was given out LBW. He did review, but it did not save him. He was dismissed for just 12, much to the pleasure of the Manchester crowd.