The intense five-Test series between England and India may have ended in a dramatic finish but it also reignited an old debate in cricket: Should injury substitutes be allowed in Test matches? Former England captain Michael Vaughan thinks the time has come.
Speaking after several injuries, Vaughan criticised the game's rules as outdated, calling them "dinosaur" and claiming they cost England the series. Vaughan's comments came in the aftermath of Chris Woakes walking out to bat one-handed with a dislocated shoulder on the final day of the fifth Test.
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Woakes joined a growing list of players including Rishabh Pant - who batted with a broken foot, and Shoaib Bashir - who bowled with a fractured finger.
Michael Vaughan backs injury substitutes in Tests
Speaking on Stick to Cricket, Vaughan was clear in his stance: Test cricket must evolve.
"We're a dinosaur game when we're seeing people break a foot, dislocate a shoulder and you can't have a substitute. It devalues the product for the next few days," Vaughan said.
He argued for allowing substitutes in cases of "clear and obvious injuries" such as fractures or dislocations, not muscle strains, and suggested that such subs could be permitted only from the second innings, if needed.
'We're a dinosaur game!' 🦖
— Stick to Cricket (@StickToCricket) August 8, 2025
Michael Vaughan and Alistair Cook debate over whether substitutions should be allowed in cricket 🔄🤔 pic.twitter.com/XfqArkxBwo
Current England captain Ben Stokes doesn't share Vaughan's view. Stokes missed the final Test through injury and told his team "pain is an emotion" and rejected the idea of subs.
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Meanwhile, under current ICC rules, only concussion substitutes are allowed to fully replace players. Fielding subs can't bat or bowl.
The debate remains far from settled but Vaughan's comments have brought fresh attention to cricket's unwillingness to adapt - especially when player safety is at stake.