Pant was grimacing in pain right after the impact and had to carried off the field on medical cart.
India wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant suffered a brutal foot injury on Day 1 of the fourth Test match against England at Old Trafford, Manchester.
Pant came out to bat when the visitors were in a spot of bother at 140/3. The southpaw unleashed some unorthodox shots to put pressure back on the English bowlers.
However, Pant's latest dashing display was cut short while batting on 37. He inside-edged an adventurous reverse sweep off Chris Woakes' yorker on to his right boot. When the shoe was taken off, the foot was swollen and bruised.
The pain was so severe that Rishabh Pant was grimacing on every touch, and had to be taken off the field using a medical buggy.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri expressed concerns over Pant's situation, saying the injury does look very serious.
“Just seeing his face, grimacing there. He has a pain threshold that's very high, and for him to be grimacing in pain in that fashion makes it very serious. It can only get worse overnight," Shastri said on Sky Sports.
"When you get up in the morning, it can be really sore, no matter the amount of ice you put. He will be icing it through the night. Let's hope it's not a break or it's not a crack," he added.
Australian legend Ricky Ponting, who shares a deep bond with Rishabh Pant after working together at Delhi Capitals, suspected a metatarsal injury as there was immediate swelling on the foot.
"He hardly put his foot on the ground. He rolled around for 6-8 minutes before the golf cart came in. The immediate swelling was the worry for me. I've had a metatarsal injury myself, and they're small, fragile bones," said Ponting.
"The fact that he couldn't put any weight on it doesn't look good at all. If it's broken, he will be out of the game. If it's not, then they will do anything they can to get him back out there. Hopefully, he doesn't play any more reverse sweeps," he added.
"Thinking about the situation of the game as well, Shardul has come out and played nicely, but with the way Rishabh plays and the momentum he brings to the Indian team, that is what they will potentially miss the most. Someone who can put the pressure on the opposition," Ponting continued.
"For Indian fans, keep fingers crossed and hope it is not as serious as it looks. If he is out of the remainder of the game, then that leaves a massive dent on India's chance, not only in this game, but the remainder of the series," he remarked.
Half-centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan guided India to 264/4 at stumps. Ravindra Jadeja (19*) and Shardul Thakur (19*) will resume the innings for India on Day 2.