Rishabh Pant expressed his frustration over his plastered foot by sharing a photo on his Instagram stories on Wednesday. The injury occurred when he was struck on his left foot during the opening day of a memorable Test between India and England at Old Trafford.
The five-match series has been hailed as one of the greatest of the century, with Pant playing a pivotal role as India’s vice-captain and one of their most reliable run-scorers in the format. True to form, he began the series in style, scoring centuries in both innings of the first Test.
“I hate this sooo much,” said Pant in his story in a text on the picture of his plastered foot. Pant sustained the injury on Day 1 and had to be wheeled off the field on a golf cart. The BCCI medical staff stated in a late-night meeting that day that the wicket-keeper would require six weeks off. They were asked, however, if he could simply use painkillers to bat for this Test. The response was, “He could, if need be.”
In the end, Pant did reach the stadium and, when Shardul Thakur was out, he hobbled down the stairs in full batting gear to finish his innings. He scored 54 runs in 75 balls after retiring injured on 37. For his efforts during the innings, Pant received praise. After the game, in which India drew despite all odds, head coach Gautam Gambhir stated that Pant’s performance would serve as the “character and foundation of the team.”
“Any amount of praise is not enough for him, especially batting with a broken foot,” said Gambhir. “Not many people have done that in the past, and he had put his hand up and that is why I say it. Any amount of praise [is not enough]. I can sit here and talk about this for hours and hours. I think the generations to come forward will talk about this, and generations coming forward should talk about it that there is someone who’s batted with a broken foot.”
“It’s unfortunate because of the kind of form he was in, but again, he’s an important member of the Test side, and I hope he recovers quickly and comes back quickly, and try and deliver again for us,” Gambhir said.
