India were left holding their breath on Wednesday as star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant hobbled off the field in visible agony after a painful blow to his right foot during Day 1 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting summed up the mood succinctly: “It doesn’t look good at all.”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Pant, batting fluently on 37, attempted a reverse sweep off a yorker from Chris Woakes and inside-edged the ball onto his right boot. What followed was a worrying sequence — Pant took off his shoe, revealed a badly swollen foot, and was visibly unable to stand. He rolled on the turf in pain for several minutes before being taken off on a buggy.
Ponting, speaking to Sky Sports, said the signs were ominous: “He hardly put his foot on the ground. He rolled around for 6-8 minutes before the golf cart came out. The immediate swelling was the worry for me. I’ve had a metatarsal injury myself, and they’re small, fragile bones. The fact he couldn’t put any weight on it — it doesn’t look good at all.”
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Pant’s absence could severely dent India’s chances, especially as they trail 1-2 in the five-match series.“The momentum he brings to the Indian team — that’s what they potentially miss the most,” Ponting added. “Someone who can break the game open and put pressure back on the opposition.”India’s Sai Sudharsan, who top-scored with 61, said Pant “was in a lot of pain” and confirmed he had gone for scans. “We’ll get to know overnight,” he added.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri echoed concerns about Pant’s absence shaping the course of the Test: “If he cannot come back to bat, that can have a huge influence on this game. And with the second new ball due tomorrow, I think anything can happen.”Pant has been one of India’s standout performers this series, scoring 462 runs at an average of 77 — and now, the team waits anxiously for the verdict that could define their Manchester campaign.
