Gambhir and Stokes at opposite ends of injury replacement debate

Gambhir and Stokes at Opposite Ends of Injury Replacement Debate

India head coach Gautam Gambhir and England captain Ben Stokes have differing opinions on whether a team should be allowed a replacement player if one suffers a serious external injury during a Test match.

Gambhir supports a rule that would permit teams to bring in a replacement under such circumstances, to prevent the contest from becoming an uneven ten-versus-eleven battle. "Absolutely, I'm all for it… If the umpires and the match referee sees and feels that is a major injury, I think it's very important."

Stokes, on the other hand, dismissed the idea, warning that such a rule could open the door to abuse and manipulation. "I think it's absolutely ridiculous that there's a conversation around an injury replacement… I think that there would just be too many loopholes for teams to be able to go through."

Gambhir praised Rishabh Pant's grit and commitment to the team, despite being ruled out of the series due to a fractured toe. "Any amount of praise is not enough for him, especially batting with a broken foot… Not many people have done that in the past, and he had put his hand up and that is why I say it."