Team India keeper-batter Rishabh Pant's toe injury has thrown the tourists into a tricky position as the former has been ruled out of the series now. Although Dhruv Jurel will step in to keep wickets in place of Pant in the game, it's worth exploring whether he can substitute him as a batter, given Team India will be one short for the remaining Test.
Pant, 27, sustained the toe injury during the 68th over of the innings on day one as he tried to play a reverse-sweep off a yorker length from Chris Woakes. Instead, the ball took the inside edge and hit him on the toe, leaving Pant in agony. After the star cricketer removed his shoe and socks, the wound was seen bleeding and he had to be carried off in a golf cart.
According to the rules, Team India will get a replacement as a keeper but that particular player will not be able to bat during their innings. As per the guidelines, replacements are only allowed when a player sustains a concussion. Notably, Jurel also kept wickets for the majority of the third Test at Lord's due to Pant suffering a finger injury while trying to prevent a boundary.
"Injury replacements should be permitted in Test cricket" - Michael Vaughan
Meanwhile, former England captain Michael Vaughan strongly vouched for injury replacements in Test cricket, given genuine incidents can take the entertainment quotient out of the game. He told BBC the below:
"Injury replacements should be permitted in Test cricket in the first innings of the game. There should be an independent doctor on site. If the doctor deems a player unable to carry on playing, you should be allowed a sub."
"It should only be in the first innings. If you allow it to go into the second innings, there could be a little bit of skullduggery. If there's a genuine injury in the first innings, it affects the game and the entertainment, which fans pay money to watch. The first innings is a good cut-off to make it fair."
Meanwhile, Team India will resume day 2 on 264-4, with Ravindra Jadeja (19*) and Shardul Thakur (19*) at the crease.
