 "Rishabh Pant added 17 runs to his overnight score of 37, brinigng up his 18th Test half-century in the process. AP")
India were dealt a massive blow after talismanic wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was struck on the foot while attempting to reverse sweep a yorker from Chris Woakes on the opening day of the fourth Test against England at Lord’s. Pant was confirmed to have suffered a fracture on his right foot due the blow, which resulted in him having to be driven off the ground in a buggy ambulance, and the 27-year-old was expected to miss the remainder of the match, if not the series.
The fracture, however, did not stop Pant from heroically walking out to bat on Day 2 in an attempt to get India as close to 400 as possible not matter how much pain he was in.
As if that wasn’t heroic enough, he would go on to complete a memorable half-century, his 18th in Test cricket, reaching the milestone with a flurry of boundaries after a couple of wickets fell in quick succession at the other end.
‘As emotional as anything I have seen’
Pant didn’t just receive a standing ovation at the home of the Lancashire County Cricket Club, former and current cricketers as well as fans applauded him for his brave gesture on social media.
Here are select reactions:
Impact Shorts
More ShortsPant, who was batting on 37 when struck by the Woakes yorker on Wednesday, walked out to bat after all-rounder Shardul Thakur was dismissed for a patient 41 that helped India cross the 300-mark with plenty of wickets left.
Thakur, replacing the injured Nitish Reddy at Manchester, had forged a 48-run partnership with fellow all-rounder Washington Sundar after India had lost the wicket of Ravindra Jadeja in just the second over of the morning session.
The second act of Pant’s innings, meanwhile, would help India reach the 350-mark. The Test vice-captain was eventually castled by Jofra Archer for 54 off 75 balls with India losing their ninth wicket for 349.
India were eventually bowled out for 358 with Jasprit Bumrah becoming the last Indian batter to fall after getting caught-behind off Jofra Archer’s bowling. Captain Ben Stokes finished as the pick of the English bowlers with figures of 5/72 while Archer collected 3 for 73.
Left-arm spinner Liam Dawson (1/45) and Chris Woakes (1/66) collected a wicket each, the former making his first Test appearance in eight years.