IND vs ENG: Why Dhruv Jurel can't bat as Rishabh Pant's replacement in Manchester Test?

Fans were left disappointed when Rishabh Pant sustained a toe injury during the 68th over of the ongoing fourth Test between India and England, which compelled him to retire midway through his innings. The ball hit his toe after bouncing off the bottom edge of his bat while he attempted a reverse sweep against Chris Woakes.

Pant was immediately taken to the medical center for scans, as he seemed to be in severe pain. England legend Nasser Hussain referred to it as "a significant setback" for India while commenting on Sky Sports after the day's play concluded. "It has been India’s day – apart from Pant's injury. That is a significant setback, and it will be intriguing to hear updates overnight regarding that. Hopefully, he is alright. This match needs Pant, and the series has been fortunate to have him involved," he stated.

According to the latest reports, Pant's injury has resulted in a fractured toe, and he has been advised to rest for six weeks. However, it remains uncertain whether he will bat again, with the likelihood appearing quite slim.

Pant's injury could leave India short of one batter, and even if Dhruv Jurel takes on the wicketkeeping role, as he did in the previous match, he will not be permitted to bat. This is in accordance with the ICC Test Playing Conditions: "A substitute shall not bowl or act as captain but may act as wicketkeeper only with the consent of the umpires. Only a nominated player may bat and may do so even though a substitute fielder has previously acted for him."

Last month, the ICC announced a new set of regulations and indicated that it will evaluate the concept of allowing full-injury replacements in domestic first-class matches. In its explanation of the rule, the ICC stated: "A player who suffers a serious injury on the field of play at any time after the match has started (including any pre-match warm-up period) may be replaced for the remainder of the match by a fully participating like-for-like player."

The regulation, however, will take effect in October of this year and will be in effect for six months. This means that Jurel can still serve as the backup wicketkeeper during both innings, but he cannot bat.

Full replacements are currently allowed in cases of concussion. In such situations, a team may replace a player from the roster submitted to the official before the game begins.

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