After retiring hurt on Day 1, Rishabh Pant returned to the crease the following morning, defying injury and pain. Courage Under Fire: Pant’s Return Ignites Team Spirit. Battling pain, he played a crucial role in stretching India’s total under testing conditions. He struck a six off Archer, reached his half-century, and played a key role in pushing India past the 350-run mark.
Rishabh Pant stunned fans and commentators alike by returning to bat with a broken foot, extending his retired-hurt score of 37 to a gritty 54. In the process, he smashed his 90th six in Test cricket, equalling Virender Sehwag’s record as India’s highest six-hitter in the format—achieved in just his 47th Test compared to Sehwag’s 103. Pant brought up his fifty with a controlled block that raced to the cover boundary, underlining his remarkable resilience and shot-making even in pain.
Rishabh Pant suffered a painful injury to his right foot during the final session on Day 1, after an attempted reverse sweep off a full toss from Chris Woakes went horribly wrong. The ball struck his boot directly, causing immediate agony. Pant collapsed in visible pain, and upon removing his sock, an egg-sized lump on his foot revealed the severity of the blow.
Pant Leaves Ground in Buggy Following On-Field Injury.
He was immediately rushed for medical scans to assess the severity of the damage. Although the BCCI has yet to release an official update, ESPNcricinfo reports confirm that Pant has suffered a fracture and will be unavailable for the final Test of the series, dealing a significant blow to India’s plans.
With Rishabh Pant injured, Dhruv Jurel has taken over wicketkeeping duties for the remainder of the Manchester Test. It was expected that Pant would only return to bat in case of a dire situation for India.
Despite his injury, Rishabh Pant appeared in his whites as Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar stitched together a 48-run stand for the sixth wicket. Just before lunch on Day 2, with India at 314 for 6 in challenging conditions where 350 was considered a strong total, Pant walked out to loud applause.
Clearly in pain and limited in movement, he hobbled between the wickets but stayed long enough to help add 35 valuable runs during his time at the crease.
During his courageous extended innings, Rishabh Pant ran 14 singles despite his injured foot, showcasing remarkable grit.
After the dismissal of Washington Sundar, Pant picked up a slower delivery from Jofra Archer and pulled it for a six before reaching his hard-fought half-century. It ultimately took a near-unplayable delivery from Archer—angled in from around the wicket, seaming away, and hitting the top of off stump—to end Pant’s defiant knock.