Old Trafford went berserk with applause and cheers as Rishabh Pant walked out to bat on Day 2 of the fourth Test. Pant suffered a fractured toe on the previous day, which forced him to retire hurt. He was later ruled out of the fifth Test, and the odds of him batting in Manchester looked bleak, especially after watching him scream in pain after being hit on the foot. The medical team did a great job, but Pant was still struggling to walk properly despite taking painkillers and injections.

Pant, however, put his team first and battled the pain to score crucial runs for the side. Pant continued his innings from 37 and stretched it to 54 before being dismissed by Jofra Archer. The knock helped India get close to the 350-run mark in the first innings. Pant's brave efforts earned him massive praise, but a few felt that he was milking his injury.

Former England player David Lloyd, who was at the legends lounge, revealed that many did not like how Pant took time to walk to the crease, with a few even saying that he should have been timed out.

"I’ve never had a metatarsal, which I think is somewhere in the foot, seeing Rishabh Pant. I have had a smashed hand against Andy Roberts and a broken cheekbone. I couldn't bat on after either, although I think I did continue when I had a broken finger. Pant looked in pain; pretty heroic of him to come out, though. Northerners, whether they are tough enough, but I was in that legends lounge today, and the consensus was 'He has milking that injury. It can’t be that bad. He's milked it, coming down those steps, and one or two said, 'He should be timed out,'" said former English cricketer David Lloyd for talkSPORT Cricket.

The entire Pant saga stirred a debate about whether the ICC should allow substitutes for external injuries. The substitutes are only allowed in case of concussion, but with growing incidents of on-field injuries, and the disadvantage a team faces after missing a key player, the calls to allow replacements for physical injuries have picked up pace. Michael Vaughan spoke in favour of the rule change, and Lloyd echoed similar sentiments.

"I probably am against runners, but I am pro substitutes for an external injury. It opens up a can of worms, it really does. But if it is an external injury, a break and medically he isn’t going to be fit for six weeks, you could have a like-for-like substitute. So that’s something else that you've got to consider. Not like replace a batter with a spinner though," he added.