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India vs England Tests: Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has lashed out at Ben Stokes for his disparaging remarks on injury substitutions, saying the England skipper should "think before speaking," cautioning him to weigh his words carefully.

Earlier, India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant had retired hurt on the first day of the fourth Test in Manchester, but he showed his dedication towards the team to return to bat the next day despite scans confirming a fracture in his right foot.

India coach Gautam Gambhir's suggestion to add injury replacements in Test cricket was met with disdain by Stokes, who branded the idea "absolutely ridiculous."

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The "karma" came back to haunt England when they were left a batter short following all-rounder Chris Woakes' shoulder niggle in the fifth Test against India.

In the fifth Test at The Oval, England faced a similar situation when Woakes suffered a fractured shoulder but still had to come out to bat on Day 5 with England nine wickets down and requiring less than 20 runs to triumph.

"I want to talk about another imperfection in this series. There's a Tamil saying that loosely translates to 'Your karma will affect you almost instantly'. What you sow is what you reap,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat'.

"After the last Test, there were questions asked about the injury to Pant. Gautam Gambhir said that such injuries need a substitution. And when Stokes was asked about this response, he simply brushed it away, calling it a joke. I am a big fan of Stokes' cricketing abilities and his attitude. But he can think and then reply."

Emphasising Woakes' decision to continue batting despite his injury, Ashwin added, "He was ready to give his life to win the game for his team, and almost did it too. He had the game awareness to run and give the strike to Atkinson. Hats off to Chris Woakes. Remarkable attitude, and a remarkable way to step out for your team, and put your body on the line."

Ashwin also highlighted former England skipper Michael Vaughan's remarks on the need for cricket's rules to develop.

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"Michael Vaughan said this is one area where the game can evolve. Substitutions should be allowed. All I'm saying is: show a little empathy for the other team. Stokes should have considered what it would be like if a player of Rishabh Pant's calibre was in his team and got injured," said the former India all-rounder.

"Wouldn't you want a substitution? Wouldn't that be fair? You are free to share your opinion — but using words like ‘joke' and ‘ridiculous' isn't respectful. Think before you speak. Karma hits instantly," he added.