Rishabh Pant has been officially ruled out of the fifth and final Test match against England due to a right foot fracture sustained during the fourth Test in Manchester. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the news, stating that the medical team will continue to monitor his progress and wishing him a speedy recovery. The fifth Test is scheduled to begin on July 31, 2025, at Kennington Oval in London.

Pant's injury occurred while attempting a reverse sweep off Chris Woakes, with the ball deflecting onto his right ankle and foot. Despite the injury, Pant displayed remarkable resilience, returning to bat on the second day and scoring a half-century. He was visibly limping and was taken off the field on a cart on the first day due to the severity of the swelling. India coach Gautam Gambhir lauded Pant's character and foundation, emphasizing the lasting impact of his contribution to the team.

The Men's Selection Committee has named Narayan Jagadeesan as Pant's replacement for the crucial fifth Test. Jagadeesan, a talented batter from Tamil Nadu, has a strong domestic record and has been part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He has played 52 first-class matches, accumulating 3373 runs at an average of 47.50, including 10 centuries and 14 half-centuries.

While Jagadeesan has been named in the squad, it is expected that Dhruv Jurel will take Pant's place in the playing XI as the wicket-keeper. Jurel has already been fulfilling the wicket-keeping duties in Pant's absence during the third and fourth Tests.

Pant's absence is a significant blow to the Indian team, as he has been a key contributor with the bat throughout the series. He is India's third-highest run-scorer in the series, with 479 runs at an average of 68.42, including two centuries and three half-centuries.

India managed to secure a draw in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, thanks to centuries from Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar. England currently leads the series 2-1. With Pant ruled out, the pressure is on the rest of the Indian batting lineup to step up and perform in the deciding Test at The Oval. India will aim to level the series.

India's updated squad for the fifth Test is as follows: Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh, N Jagadeesan (WK).