Shardul Thakur: Team India all-rounder Shardul Thakur has opined that any new rule allowing a substitute to replace an injured player in Test cricket should come into effect only from the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. He stated that introducing a new substitution rule in the ongoing WTC cycle would be unfair.
Shardul Thakur: A debate over allowing a badly injured player in a Test match to be replaced by a substitute, who can bat and bowl, has gained momentum after Rishabh Pant fractured his toe in the ongoing India-England Test in Manchester. While Dhruv Jurel is keeping wickets due to Pant’s injury, he is not allowed to bat as per current rules. As a result, Pant walked out to bat despite a fractured toe.
Shardul Thakur: Speaking at a press conference following the end of the second day’s play in Manchester on Thursday, July 24, Thakur shared his views on the debate around the substitute rule in Test cricket. He commented:
Shardul Thakur: “I think there is some discussion going on. I was reading it in the news. Whether that should come into play or not, right now I can’t say much. But, if it happens, I would say it should happen after this WTC cycle. It shouldn’t happen in the middle because a few series are being played as part of WTC. It would be unfair when it comes to the points table and qualifying for the finals, looking at the WTC cycle.”
A standing ovation for Rishabh Pant at Old Trafford after he came out to bat despite an injury 👏#WTC27 | #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/W1W2gwuY48
— ICC (@ICC) July 24, 2025
Pant, who retired hurt on 37 on Day 1 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, came out to bat on Day 2 after Thakur’s dismissal for 41. He went on to complete a crucial half-century before being dismissed for 54 by Jofra Archer.
“With the new ball, we could have been better” – Shardul Thakur on India’s poor bowling effort on Day 2
Despite Pant’s valiant knock, India were bowled out for a below par 358 in their first innings. In response, England made a brilliant start and were 225-2 at stumps after 46 overs. Openers Ben Duckett (94) and Zak Crawley (84) added 166 in 32 overs. Speaking about India’s bowling effort, Thakur admitted:
“With the new ball, we could have been better. We were trying to hold it back, but runs kept flowing. It wasn’t difficult for bowlers. We could have had much more patience in terms of bowling the channel, which we didn’t. There were few deliveries, which we bowled well and there were few deliveries that just went for boundaries. We need to evaluate the kind of deliveries we need to stick to.”
𝙂𝙧𝙞𝙩. 𝙂𝙪𝙩𝙨. 𝙂𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣!
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 24, 2025
When Old Trafford stood up to applaud a brave Rishabh Pant 🙌 🫡#TeamIndia | #ENGvIND | @RishabhPant17 pic.twitter.com/nxT2xZp134
At stumps on Day 2 of the Manchester Test, Ollie Pope was batting on 20 and Joe Root on 11. England trail India by 133 runs, with eight wickets in hand.
