India’s hopes of salvaging a draw in the final Test at Old Trafford have received a boost with confirmation that injured wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will bat on Day 5, despite suffering a toe fracture earlier in the match. Pant sustained the injury in the first innings while attempting a reverse sweep off Chris Woakes.
Pant had made a valuable 54 off 75 deliveries in the first innings, laced with three boundaries and two sixes. However, his movement remains restricted due to the injury.
Rishabh Pant to bat on Day 5
Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak confirmed Pant’s availability in the post-Day 4 press conference. He said,“Yes, Rishabh will bat tomorrow,”. Though Pant was unable to continue keeping duties with youngster Dhruv Jurel taking over behind the stumps, the 26-year-old walked out to bat limping on Day 2, showcasing his trademark grit.
England on top against India
After England piled on a massive first-innings total of 669, taking a 311-run lead, India faced early trouble in their second innings. Chris Woakes struck twice in the very first over, removing openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan for ducks. But KL Rahul and captain Shubman Gill steadied the innings with a crucial partnership.
Kotak lauded both batters for showing composure under pressure. He said, “When you lose early wickets, it’s easy to panic. But even at lunch, they were calm. They backed themselves to play out the tough phase. KL’s defensive technique against the new ball was outstanding. And Gill, after a few streaky moments, started trusting his game and played to his strengths,”.
At stumps on Day 4, India were 174/2, still trailing by 137 runs, with Rahul unbeaten on 87 and Gill standing tall on 78. Looking ahead to the final day, India must bat through at least two sessions to secure a draw and avoid a series defeat.
With Pant expected to return to the crease and a resilient partnership already in place, India will look to dig deep on Day 5 in a bid to escape with a draw in Manchester.
