England captain Ben Stokes downplayed the idea of injured replacements in Test cricket, amidst mounting speculation after Rishabh Pant sustained a fracture in Manchester. The seasoned all-rounder described the conversation as completely ludicrous, with too many loopholes.
India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, supported the notion of having a concussion substitute in Test cricket who can both bat and bowl in the event of a major injury. Speaking at a press conference following the Manchester Test, he stated that umpires and match referees can make a decision on the matter in rare circumstances.
However, Ben Stokes, the captain of England, dismissed the same question. Speaking after the drew Test in Manchester on Sunday, July 27, he stated (as quoted by ESPNcricinfo):
“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 11 for a game; injuries are part of the game. I completely understand the concussion replacement: player welfare, [and] player safety. But I think the conversation should just honestly stop around injury replacements because if you stick me in an MRI scanner, I could get someone else in straightaway.
Ben Stokes
“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.”
Ben Stokes
Wasn’t about glory, wasn’t about stats. Not the result we came for, but not one we’ll walk away from 💪
The fight was real till the very end 🇮🇳#RP17 pic.twitter.com/8dkHVKS2Ts
— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) July 27, 2025In the Manchester Test, Dhruv Jurel maintained wickets instead of Pant, who came out to bat with a fractured foot in India’s first innings. After retiring hurt at 37, he continued his innings the next day and scored 54.
Rishabh Pant Ruled Out of 5th Test Due to Foot Fracture
The BCCI issued another update on Pant on Sunday, confirming that he will miss the fifth Test against England at The Oval due to a fracture in his right foot. Narayan Jagadeesan was named as his successor.
Meanwhile, at the post-match press conference in Manchester, India head coach Gautam Gambhir praised Pant for batting despite a fracture. He said:
“Rishabh, already it’s been declared that he’s out of the series. One thing I want to say is that the character, the foundation of this team will be built on something that [he] did for the team and for the country as well. Any amount of praise is not enough for him, especially batting with a broken foot.”
Gautam Gambhir
– 7 Innnings.
– 479 runs.
– 2 Hundreds.
– 3 Fifties.
– 68.43 Average.
– 77.63 Strike Rate.
THANK YOU, RISHABH PANT – The fight with fractured toe will be remembered forever, Wishing a speedy recovery and waiting for the return on October 2nd against West Indies. 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/pxx996Ww4F
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 27, 2025Pant is currently the third highest run scorer in the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. In seven innings, he scored 479 runs at an average of 68.42, thanks to two hundreds and three half-centuries.
