Can India bring in a replacement batter if injured Rishabh Pant is ruled out of the 4th Test against ENG?

The Indian team is having a tough time dealing with injuries in the ongoing Tendulkar-Anderson series. After the third Test match, three players, Nitish Reddy, Akash Deep, and Arshdeep Singh, were injured and ruled out of the fourth Test. However, as the Manchester Test against England began on July 23, India’s star keeper-batter Rishabh Pant sustained an injury on his right foot. The incident occurred in the final session of the day when Pant attempted a reverse sweep to an over-pitched delivery from Chris Woakes.

The ball struck his right foot after taking a thick inside edge off his bat. The English players appealed for LBW, but they lost the DRS. Soon after being hit, Pant was seen in considerable pain and called the medical team onto the field. He was then taken to the hospital for more scans. Pant was retired hurt before the day ended. India's replacement for this match would be Dhruv Jurel. “Rishabh Pant was hit on his right foot while batting on Day 1 of the Manchester Test. He was taken for scans from the stadium. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress,” said BCCI on their X account. 

This is a serious concern for the Indian team as Pant is not only one of the best batters, but is also the primary wicket-keeper. When he was at the crease, he looked well set, batting on 37 runs off 48 balls. Now, the main question that arises is: if Pant is ruled out of the Test, can his replacement bat for the team? 

What happens if Rishabh Pant is ruled out of the 4th Test match?

The Indian team is in deep trouble after Rishabh Pant’s injury, with a high chance that he will be ruled out of the Test. In such cases, the team will get a replacement who can keep the wickets but will not be allowed to bat. This means that India will effectively play with only ten batters if Pant is unable to return. While talking to the press, Sai Sudharsan confirmed that without Pant, the Men in Blue will be a batter short.

“Obviously, because he (Pant) was batting really well today as well. So, and plus we miss out, miss a batter if he doesn't come back again,” said Sai Sudharsan at the post-match press conference.