Pant sidelined from keeping duties with foot injury, remains available to bat

Adding to India's injury woes during the ongoing five-match ICC World Test Championship series, India wicket-keeper-batter Rishabh Pant will be out of action as a wicket-keeper but will be available to bat if required.

An official statement from the BCCI confirmed, "Rishabh Pant, who sustained an injury to his right foot on Day 1 of the Manchester Test, will not be performing wicket-keeping duties for the remainder of the match."

In his stead, Dhruv Jurel will assume the role of wicket-keeper.

Pant sustained the injury while batting on the opening day of the Manchester Test, when he was hit on his right boot off a Chris Woakes full-length delivery.

The incident occurred in the 68th over when Pant attempted to reverse sweep Woakes, but instead nicked the ball onto his right foot.

After receiving immediate treatment from the physio and in visible discomfort, Pant was forced off the field during India's first innings at Old Trafford.

The BCCI had stated that he was taken for scans following the incident on Day 1.

With 462 runs under his belt from seven innings, Pant has been the second highest run-scorer in the high octane series after Shubman Gill. The swashbuckling left-handed batter has amassed runs at an average of 66, which includes two centuries and as many half-centuries.

Having already lost all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy for the rest of the series and pacer Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh due to injuries following the Lord's Test, Pant's injury presents another challenge to India as the tourists look to bounce back, trailing 2-1 in the series.

Being put in to bat first in Manchester after England won the toss, India closed the day with 264 runs on the board at the loss of four wickets.