Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting raised alarm bells after India’s wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant retired hurt on the first day of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester. Pant's injury came as a major blow to India. The southpaw was looking poised for a bigger innings, batting at 37 off 48 balls. He was injured while trying to play a reverse sweep off Chris Woakes. Pant missed the shot completely, and the ball struck him hard on the boot.

Pant grimaced in pain and fell to the ground in sheer discomfort. He could hardly stand on his right foot, and there was some bleeding. He was helped by the physio and a medical cart as his foot continued to swell. He was stretchered off, accompanied by fielding coach T Dilip, doctor and physio Yogesh Parmar, and two security staff, and left the ground in an ambulance. He appeared to be in severe pain.

"He hardly put his foot on the ground. The immediate swelling was the worry for me," Ponting told Sky Sports fearing a serious injury for the swashbuckling India batter.

Worried by the India vice-captain’s injury, captain Shubman Gill rushed in to check on Pant at the medical centre where Pant was receiving first aid. His injury, which came after the finger injury he sustained on Day 1 of the Lord's Test, forced Dhruv Jurel to keep wickets for the remainder of that match. While Pant could bat at Lord's despite the finger injury, his foot injury is likely to make him unable to bat at Old Trafford.

Ponting, who himself struggled with several injuries, including a recurring wrist injury at the latter stage of his career, further indicated that Pant may have suffered a metatarsal injury, even though the scan report is awaited.

"I have had a metatarsal injury myself, and they are small, fragile bones. The fact he could not put any weight on it, it does not look good at all," added Ponting.

A metatarsal injury – which Ponting himself struggled with – refers to damage to one or more of the five long bones in the midfoot, known as metatarsals. These injuries can range from stress fractures due to overuse to acute fractures from direct trauma or twisting injuries. Depending on the severity and extent of the injury, treatment may require prolonged rest, immobilization, or even surgery.

In Pant’s case, it remains to be ascertained what exact injury he has suffered and to what extent. He has undergone the scans on Wednesday. Pant already missed more than one and a half years of cricket after a car accident he met with in December 2022.

India ended the Day 1 on 264 for 4, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan scoring half-centuries. For England, captain Ben Stokes picked up two wickets, while Woakes and Liam Dawson scalped one each. Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur – both batting on 19 – will resume the innings on Day 2.