India’s head coach and England’s captain have expressed differing views on the idea of substituting injured players during a Test match.
The debate gained new momentum after Rishabh Pant batted with a broken leg at Old Trafford. Should teams be allowed to bring in a substitute if a player suffers a serious injury mid-match? India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir is clearly in favor. However, England captain Ben Stokes disagrees, warning that such a rule could be exploited unfairly.
On the first day of the fourth Test, Pant was struck on the foot by a full-length delivery from Chris Woakes while attempting a reverse sweep. Unable to walk, he left the field on a golf cart. Scans later confirmed a hairline fracture. Remarkably, Pant returned the next day and batted cautiously, contributing valuable runs.
Despite trailing by 311 runs in the first innings, India batted through 143 overs in their second innings to save the match. Pant didn’t bat in the second innings, but it was assumed he would have if needed.
Following India’s near victory and eventual draw, Gambhir called for a rule change to allow substitutes in such situations.
“Absolutely, I am in favor of it. If the umpires and match referee see that the injury is serious, I think it is very important. It is crucial to have a rule where a substitute can come in if the seriousness of the injury is clear. There is no harm in that, especially in a series where the previous three Tests have been so competitive. Imagine playing with 10 men against 11 — that would be very unfortunate for us.”
Pant’s injury meant Dhruv Jurel took over wicketkeeping duties at Old Trafford. He had also kept wickets at Lord’s after Pant was injured there.
Currently, under ICC playing conditions, a full substitute in Tests is only allowed if a player suffers a concussion or tests positive for COVID-19 during the match. For all other injuries, substitutes are only permitted to field, not bat or bowl.
Several cricket boards plan to trial a substitute rule for injured players in first-class cricket later this year. But Stokes says the discussion should end now, and backs up his view with strong reasoning.
“In my opinion, it’s completely ridiculous that the concussion substitute discussion is ongoing. I think implementing such a rule would leave a lot of loopholes. Pick your XI for the match; injury is part of the game. I understand concussion substitutes, player health, and safety, but the injury substitute discussion should stop because if you allow me to go for an MRI scan, then I can get someone else in immediately.”
“If you send someone for an MRI scan, a bowler might say, ‘Oh yeah, I have a bit of pain in my knee, so we can bring in a new bowler.’ I think this discussion needs to be stopped.”
