The China Mail - Injured Pant bats on as India move on to 321-6 in fourth Test

Pant had to retire hurt Wednesday on 37 when struck a painful blow on the foot attempting an audacious reverse-sweep off a Chris Woakes yorker.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced Pant was ruled out of keeping wicket at Old Trafford.

But they added Pant, who has been one of India's outstanding players during the five-match series, racking up 462 runs in seven innings so far, would bat "as per team requirements".

And after Shardul Thakur fell for 41, with India 314-6, Pant slowly made his way down the dressing room steps and out into the middle.

Pant's opening ball Thursday saw him prod tentatively at a wide delivery, from England captain Ben Stokes, with the left-hander clearly struggling to move.

He was then comprehensively beaten by the next delivery.

Runners are no longer allowed in international cricket and Pant added two runs in seven balls faced Thursday to be 39 not out when rain stopped play 10 minutes before lunch.

India resumed on 264-4 after Stokes went against history by sending the tourists in to bat. No team winning the toss and bowling first has ever won a Test at Old Trafford.

But India, 2-1 down in a five-match contest, needed to make some history of their own if they were to maintain their hopes of a series victory as they had yet to win any of their previous nine Tests at Old Trafford.

And with play resuming in overcast, bowler-friendly conditions, India soon slumped to 266-5 as Jofra Archer struck with just his fifth ball of the day.

Ravindra Jadeja, on a run of four successive fifties this series, had added just one to his overnight 19 when he was undone by a superb Archer ball that moved sharply to take the outside edge, with second slip Harry Brook holding a fine low catch to his right.

Thakur, one of three changes to the India side, counter-attacked by smashing a short ball from Woakes through cover for a commanding four.

But his useful innings of 41 ended when Stokes once again proved himself a partnership breaker, although he needed considerable help from a leaping Ben Duckett at gully after Thakur edged a booming drive.

N.Wan--ThChM