Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir confirms Pant out of 5th Test due to injury

MANCHESTER: India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that Indian wicketkeeper/batter Rishabh Pant will be out of the fifth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy starting from July 31 at the Oval.

Rishabh Pant was forced to leave the field when a toe-crushing yorker from England pacer Chris Woakes struck him on the right foot while batting in the first innings of the fourth Test.

The left-hander was in visible pain and could not continue batting, raising concerns over his participation in the rest of the match. In one of the most courageous displays seen on a cricket field, Pant batted through intense pain from a fractured toe to score a vital half-century for India on Day 2 of the fourth Test.

While speaking to the media, Gambhir said, “Rishabh, already it’s been declared that he’s out of the series. And one thing I want to say is that the character and the foundation of this team will be built on something what Rishabh did for the team and for the country as well.”

#WATCH | #INDvsENG | Manchester, UK | On Rishabh Pant ruled out of fifth Test due to injury, Head Coach of the Indian Team Gautam Gambhir says, “… The character and the foundation of this team will be built on what Rishabh did for the team and the country. Any amount of praise… pic.twitter.com/tpzlbY9Wnj

— ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2025

“Any amount of praise is not enough for him. Especially batting with a broken foot. Not many people have done that in the past and he has put his hand up and that is why I say any amount of praise. I can sit here and talk about this for hours and hours. I think the generations to come forward will talk about this,” he added.

India have added Narayan Jagadeesan to their squad for the fifth Test against England at The Oval as his cover. Jagadeesan has amassed 3373 runs from 52 first-class matches, which includes 10 centuries and 14 half-centuries, at an average of 47.50.

With 479 runs at an average of 68.42, Pant is India’s third-highest run-getter in the ongoing series. This includes two centuries and three half-centuries.

Gambhir also spoke about the substitute rule for such injuries, “Absolutely. I’m all for it. And if the umpires and the match referee sees and feels that there’s a major injury, I think it’s very important. It’s very important to have this rule where you can get a substitute. Especially in a series like this, where it’s been such a closely fought series in the previous three test matches.”

Coming to the match, A stellar centuries from Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar in the second innings guided India to secure a draw in the fourth test match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England at Old Trafford, Manchester on Sunday.

Brief score: India 358 & 425/4 (Ravindra Jadeja 107*, Shubman Gill 103, Chris Woakes 2/67) vs England 669 (Joe Root 150, Ben Stokes 141, Ravindra Jadeja 4/143). (ANI)