India are anxiously awaiting the results of scans to discover the full extent of a foot injury suffered by Rishabh Pant that threatens to have major “consequences” for the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford.
Sai Sudharsan, who top-scored with 61 in India’s stumps total of 4-264- and was at the other end when Pant was injured, said the left-hander “was in a lot of pain”.
“He’s gone for scans and we’ll get to know overnight,” Sudharsan told reporters after Wednesday’s close.
“He was batting really well here. We miss a batter if he doesn’t come back again, so it would definitely have consequences. We’ll try to give our best and bat long so that we negotiate that loss.”
Watch England vs India Test Series LIVE & EXCLUSIVE on Fox Cricket, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer >
Pant counter-attacked in trademark fashion after India, sent in to bat by England captain Ben Stokes, slid from 0-94 to 3-140 on Wednesday’s opening day in Manchester.
He slog-swept Jofra Archer for four and launched Brydon Carse for a superb straight six.
But Pant’s latest dashing display was cut short when, on 37, the wicketkeeper inside-edged an audacious reverse sweep off Chris Woakes’ yorker onto his right boot.
When Pant took off his boot, he revealed a foot that became increasingly bruised and swollen as he received lengthy on-field treatment from team medical staff.
Pant, who has scored 462 runs this series at a superb average of 77, was taken off the field on a buggy in evident pain.
His fitness to both bat and keep wicket in the rest of this Test – a game India, at 2-1 down, must win if they are to clinch this five-match contest – is now in doubt.
India was 4-264 at stumps with all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja (19*) and Shardul Thakur (19*) unbeaten overnight.
Earlier on Wednesday, forgotten England spinner Liam Dawson has broken an incredible 2,929-day Test drought, after being selected in his first international red-ball match for eight years.
The 35-year-old left-arm orthodox bowler was England’s sole change to their fourth Test against India, replacing off-spinner Shoaib Bashir who fractured a finger on his left hand a week earlier.
Having not pulled on the whites for his country since July 17, 2017, against South Africa at Nottingham, Dawson was plucked from county cricket once more to act as England’s lead spinner — and it paid off instantly.
Coming into the attack at 1-115 with India cruising during the second session on Day 1, it took Dawson just seven balls to make an impact. A clever bit of bowling dragged Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal forward, prodding at a full ball outside off stump before edging it to Harry Brook at first slip.
An elated Dawson wheeled away to his right, arms outstretched, before a fist bump to the Manchester crowd that had Old Trafford on its feet as Jaiswal departed for a well-made 58.
“Liam Dawson should be really proud of himself. The first over (he) brought some (revolutions on the ball) in, hit the right areas and the second one he’s got the wicket as well. A simple catch to Harry Brook,” former Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik said on Sky Sports.
“What a wicket, and what a feeling it must be for Dawson. It took him eight years to get his opportunity … and to get Yashasvi Jaiswal, brilliant.”
His dismissal of Jaiswal ended an eight-year gap between Test wickets, with his last scalp being South African great Hashim Amla — who retired all the way back in 2019. Only Joe Root and Ben Stokes from this current England side featured alongside Dawson in his last Test appearance.
“That is a moment and wicket that Liam Dawson had almost given up on. Not so long ago, he said that Test match cricket was not on his radar,” former England Test player Ian Ward added.
“(He) was absolutely happy with what he was doing for Hampshire in franchise cricket, but that injury to Shoaib Bashir has given him another opportunity in Test match cricket — and he’s started extremely well, a wicket with his seventh ball back.”
Dawson’s red-ball form has remained consistent throughout his career, with 371 first-class wickets heading into Day 1 of the fourth Test. Impressively, 12 of his 15 five-wicket hauls in four-day cricket have come in the last four seasons.
Remarkably, the Swindon-born bowling all-rounder also boasts more first-class runs (11,703) than any player in the India squad.
At tea on the opening day, India were 3-142 after 52 overs, with Sai Sudharsan (26) and Rishabh Pant (3) at the crease for the visitors.
