As Rishabh Pant walked out to bat on Thursday, with a fractured foot, he received the loudest of cheers from the fans.
The Old Trafford gave a standing ovation as a nonchalant Pant limped his way to the middle, kissing the boundary rope on the way.
He was visibly in pain and discomfort, but with India six down, Pant took painkillers and followed all the necessary medical protocols to take the field. Despite moving gingerly, Pant occasionally took a few singles before dealing in boundaries.
He eventually brought up his 18th Test fifty, with a boundary through the covers against Ben Stokes, before falling to Jofra Archer for 54.
Rishabh Pant hits Archer for six runs during day two of the Fourth Test Match between England and India.
| Photo Credit:
STU FORSTER
Rishabh Pant hits Archer for six runs during day two of the Fourth Test Match between England and India.
| Photo Credit:
STU FORSTER
His dedication towards the game reminded one of Anil Kumble’s heroics when the former India captain bowled with a broken jaw during the second Test match of the 2002 tour of the West Indies, demonstrating immense grit.
Pant displayed similar steel on Thursday. There was a bit of a grimace on his face, but with the series on the line and the team needing him the most, Pant once again demonstrated his indomitable spirit.
Since his formative years, Pant talks to himself throughout the innings. This was something his coach, the late Tarak Sinha, taught him.
Things were no different this time either. After he completed every run, Pant could be seen muttering something to himself, while Washington Sundar walked up to him at frequent intervals to check whether he was feeling alright.
By the time Pant returned to the middle, India had already breached the 300-run mark. But what was important was to extend the tally further, and the Indian keeper-batter knew that if he could hold out longer, it would happen.
Despite the pain, his innings was quite Pant-esque as he picked his time to play a few uncanny shots. Even as the pitch offered a fair amount of lateral movement and some inconsistent bounce, Pant remained unperturbed. His 23-run partnership with Washington meant India put up a fairly decent total on the board.
Though the BCCI did not mention it, Pant will not feature in the final Test at the Oval next week and won’t even do the wicketkeeping duties in the ongoing Test as he has been advised six week’s rest by the doctors.
In Pant’s absence, Dhruv Jurel will take charge of the keeping duties. The team management was keen on calling up Ishan Kishan as a back-up option. However, the selectors were informed that Kishan, who is recovering from an injury, may not be in a position to travel to England at this point. As a result, the selectors have now reached out to N. Jagadeesan, who is likely to join the team ahead of the final Test next week.
Pant had hurt his finger in the previous Test at Lord’s, which prevented him from keeping wickets, but had batted in both innings. And, as he took the field at Old Trafford, it indeed, spoke volumes about his character.
