India's worst Rishabh Pant fears confirmed as injury update offered during England Test

Rishabh Pant has fractured a bone in his right foot and is likely to be out of action for at least six weeks.

India’s wicketkeeper, box-office batter and star turn was evacuated from Old Trafford on a medical buggy after being forced to retire hurt on the opening day’s play in the fourth Test against England.

Pant was in manifest pain after deflecting a full toss from Chris Woakes on to his right boot, and now X-rays have confirmed India’s worst fears overnight.

When he removed his boot and sock, TV footage showed Pant had a golf ball-sized lump at the base of his little toe.

Sai Sudharsan, who was the non-striker when Pant was hurt, said: “He was batting really well and if he doesn’t come back we will be missing a batter, but we will do our best to negotiate that loss if necessary.”

If Pant is unable to take any further part in the series, as expected, it would be a huge loss for both the tourists and the entertainment value of the contest in general.

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He scored twin hundreds at Headingley in the first Test, but somehow managed to find himself on the losing side. Then his quickfire 65 off 58 balls put England to the sword at Edgbaston before Pant’s memorable showdown with Jofra Archer at Lord’s.

The returning paceman, making his first Test appearance in more than four years, was not impressed when Pant dared to charge his second ball of the dramatic final day - and responded by uprooting his off stump with a 90mph missile.

As England cranked up the volume in an increasingly tense atmosphere, Archer sent Pant on his way with a valedictory chirp: “Charge that now.”

Although Pant’s injury put India on the back foot in a match they must win to have any hope of lifting the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy next month, fans on both sides will be sorry to see the back of him in this series.

Pant’s explosive and audacious range of strokes was missing for two years when he was involved in a life-threatening car accident in 2022.

And at Leeds he became only the second wicketkeeper, after Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower, to score a hundred in each innings of a Test. Five of his eight Test centuries have come against England.

As was the case when Pant damaged a finger at Lord’s, India will hand the keeper’s gloves to Dhruv Patel for the remainder of the Old Trafford Test.