Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the England Test series and is likely to miss six weeks of action due to a fractured toe, according to a report in the Indian Express. Pant suffered a nasty hit on the toe after he missed a premeditated sweep shot on Day 1 of the fourth Test against England in Manchester. Pant looked in searing pain and was taken off the field in an ambulance before being rushed to the hospital for scans.

The report reveals that Ishan Kishan will be added to the India squad for the fifth Test at the Oval. The management has asked the medical team if Pant can bat in the fourth Test after taking painkillers; however, the odds are low that he would be allowed to bat. This is a body blow to India, who are trailing 1-2 in the series. The left-hander was in great form and scored two hundreds and as many fifties in the preceding three Tests. He looked well set on Day 1 of the fourth Test and raced to 37 before being retired hurt.

“The scan report showed a fracture and he is ruled out for six weeks. The medical team is trying to see if he can come out to bat again by taking a pain killer. He still needs support to walk through and chances of his batting looks very bleak,” a source in the BCCI confirmed to The Indian Express.

India's Test series against England has been marred by injuries. Ahead of the fourth Test, India lost Akash Deep to a groin issue and Nitish Reddy was ruled out due to a ligament tear in his knee. Ardshdeep Singh is also struggling with an injury. The series of injuries is not going to help India's quest to win the series in England. The team needs wins in the fourth and fifth Test to grab the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy.