Rishabh Pant's courageous return to the crease after sustaining a painful injury during Day 1 of the fourth Test between India and England has stirred mixed reactions, not just among fans but also within the cricketing fraternity. Former England cricketer David Lloyd, speaking on talkSPORT Cricket, claimed that several members inside the 'legends lounge' at Old Trafford believed Pant was "milking his injury."
Pant had scored 37 runs when he was struck on the toe by a low yorker from Chris Woakes while attempting a reverse sweep, reportedly resulting in a fracture to his right foot. Despite the injury, he returned to bat on Day 2 after the fall of Shardul Thakur’s wicket, receiving loud applause from the Manchester crowd.
However, David Lloyd revealed that not everyone was convinced of Pant’s condition. “I was present in that legends lounge today, and the consensus was, 'He is milking that injury. It can't be that severe. He has exaggerated it, coming down those steps,’” Lloyd said. “One or two even suggested, 'He should be timed out.’”
Lloyd compared Pant’s situation to his own past injuries as a player. “I’ve never experienced a metatarsal injury, which I believe is located in the foot. But I’ve played through a broken finger and suffered a smashed hand and fractured cheekbone, which kept me from batting.”
David Lloyd backs the idea of injury subs in Tests
While the former England player appeared skeptical of the severity of Pant’s condition, he also used the incident to highlight a larger issue in Test cricket: injury substitutes. Lloyd said he supports the idea of like-for-like replacements for external injuries, especially when a player is clearly ruled out for weeks due to a fracture or similar medical condition.
“While I am generally against the use of runners, I favor substitutes for external injuries. It does raise numerous issues, but if it is an external injury, such as a break, and medically he won't be fit for six weeks, a like-for-like substitute could be introduced,” Lloyd explained. “This is an important consideration, but it shouldn't be about replacing a batter with a spinner.”
Pant’s injury and his return have opened up conversations, not just about the spirit of the game, but also about the fairness and practicality of allowing replacements for seriously injured players in the longest format of cricket.
