Rishabh Pant's Injury Not Allowing Him to Bat Could be Catastrophic And May Result in India's Loss at Lord's

England vs India: Young Rishabh Pant picked up a finger injury on Thursday which forced him to leave the field during the opening day of the third Test at Lord's. After he left the field, Dhruv Jurel replaced him for the rest of the day. The Board of Control of Cricket in India put out a statement, which was vague and did not provide any clarity. Now, it remains to be seen he bats or not. 

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Why Pant Not Batting at Lord's Could be Catastrophic For India? 

Pant has been in ominous form and his style of aggressive cricket has put the opposition under pressure more than once in this ongoing Test series. And in Lord's, where the pitch is sluggish and could have uneven bounce as the game progresses, Pant has the game to counter it. That makes Pant an important character for India at Lord's. 

Also, it is clear that Dhruv Jurel cannot replace him as a batter, as per ICC rules. Now Pant bats or not remains to be seen. Multiple reports claim Pant could recover in time and could be seen as early as the start of Day 2, donning the gloves. If that happens, it will be a mighty relief for the Indian camp. 

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Who Holds Edge After Day 1? 

It is hard to say who holds the edge. In fact, it is safe to say it is even-stevens after the opening day. The hosts did not opt for the Bazball template and were teased throughout the day by the Indians. England are 251 for four at stumps on Day 1 with Joe Root on 99*.