India National Cricket Team head coach Gautam Gambhir has suggested that Test cricket should allow injury replacements, especially in serious cases, but England captain Ben Stokes called this demand “absolutely ridiculous” after the Manchester Test ended in a draw on July 27.
Gautam Gambhir’s demand came after the star Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was forced to retire hurt on Day 1 of the fourth Test in Manchester. Despite a confirmed fracture in his right foot, Pant bravely returned to bat the next day and scored a heroic fifty against England.
Gautam Gambhir backs injury replacements in Tests, Ben Stokes dismisses idea as ‘Ridiculous’
After the match, Gambhir hailed Pant’s determination but also pointed out how difficult it would have been for India if they had to play with just ten fit players. The Indian head coach believes that if a player suffers a visible and confirmed injury, the team should be allowed to bring in a substitute.
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Gambhir has mentioned that a replacement for the seriously injured player is really important in a tightly contested series like the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, where every player makes a big difference. While the Indian head coach supports the idea for fairness and balance, Ben Stokes disagrees with the suggestion, finding the idea unreasonable.
It’s very important to have this rule: Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir said at the post-match press conference, “Absolutely, I’m all for it. If the umpires and the match referee see and feel that it is a major injury, I think it’s very important. It’s very important to have this rule where you can get a substitute—that is, if it’s very visible. There’s nothing wrong with doing that, especially in a series like this, where it’s been such a closely fought series in the previous three Test matches. Imagine if we would’ve had to play with ten men against 11. How unfortunate would this be for us?”
Notably, India brought in Dhruv Jurel as a substitute wicketkeeper after Rishabh Pant got injured. However, Jurel wasn’t allowed to bat in the second innings in Manchester. According to ICC rules, teams can replace a player only if there’s a concussion or Covid-19 case, but there is no rule for regular injury replacements in Test matches.
Ben Stokes calls Gautam Gambhir’s suggestion “absolutely ridiculous”
Meanwhile, Ben Stokes has strongly opposed the idea of allowing injury replacements in Test cricket. The England captain believes that it would lead to teams finding ways to take advantage of the rule. Stokes said injuries are a part of the game, and while concussion and Covid-19 replacements make sense for player safety, injury substitutes could open the door to unfair tactics.
He stressed that the conversation should just stop around injury replacements because if an MRI scanner should be considered, then a team can easily get someone else in straightaway, and it creates loopholes that teams might misuse in Test cricket.
Such conversations should be shut down and stopped: Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes further explained, “I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that there’s a conversation around an injury replacement. I think that there would just be too many loopholes for teams to be able to go through. You pick your XI for a game; injuries are part of the game. I completely understand the concussion replacement—player welfare and player safety.”
He signed off by saying, “If you stick anyone else with an MRI scanner, a bowler is going to show, ‘Oh yeah, you’ve got a bit of inflammation around your knee; oh sweet, we can get another fresh bowler in.’ I just think that conversation should be shut down and stopped.”
