Manchester, Jul 24 (PTI) As he gingerly walked down from the external staircase of the Indian dressing room at the Old Trafford Stadium, Rishabh Pant looked no less than an injured Gladiator.
The majority present gave him a standing ovation.
Anil Kumble bowling with a bandaged broken jaw against the West Indies back in Antigua back in 2002 is a part of Indian cricket’s folklore and Pant hobbling out to bat with a broken foot on a day two morning at Old Trafford would easily feature in the iconic moments of bravado in international cricket.
Just like Malcolm Marshall batted and bowled with a double fracture on his left hand at Headingley in 1984.
There was pain and when he was seen talking to his head coach Gautam Gambhir, it didn’t seem he would take the punt.
Just like it was a punt to reverse sweep a loopy dipping yorker off a Chris Woakes delivery that warranted any but that shot.
And it was an even bigger punt to come out to bat with an already fractured foot.
But then if there is no punt, there is no Pant.
Even an eternal optimist would bet against Pant entering the middle less than 24 hours after copping a heavy blow on his right foot but here was leaving every soul at the storied ground in awe, pretty much like he does with his outrageous stroke play. A loud roar and standing ovation, duly recognising Pant’s valour, followed.
Pant, who retired hurt on 37 overnight, could barely walk for singles but the fighter in him kept him going nonchalantly. He completed a half-century which when he would look back after 25 years from now would feel as impactful as any of his eight Test hundreds. The 54 in terms of value would worth 154.
As he struggled to reach the other end after tapping the ball in the outfield, another act of heroism came to mind – Kumble bowling 14 overs on the bounce with a broken jaw against the West Indies in Antigua back in 2002 and dismissing the great Brian Lara in the process.
“At least I can now go home with the thought that I tried my best,” Kumble had famously before flying back to Bangalore for surgery.
On Thursday, Pant too became an inseparable part of cricket’s inspiring history, if miraculously surviving a horrific car accident in December 2022 and subsequently making a successful return to the game was not enough. It can be safely said that Pant is built differently.
Like Kumble, Pant in all probability will not be taking further part in the series but with his actions on Thursday, the southpaw showed his exemplary commitment to his craft and the desire to make one final impact in the match.
After struggling to complete two singles before lunch, Pant decided to only use the long handle. Perhaps Ben Stokes’s cheeky gesture of tapping on his imaginary clock on his right wrists as Pant limped out to bat post lunch strengthened the steely resolve of the special wicket-keeper batter.
First, Pant sensationally smashed a slower ball from Jofra Archer for a six between mid-wicket and square leg before check drove Ben Stokes from the crease for a boundary through cover for a memorable half-century, drawing another standing ovation from a packed stadium.
When Archer finally found Pant’s stumps with a peach, the significance of Pant’s courageous knock was not lost even on the opposition with Joe Root patting the Indian for his valiant effort.
On the sidelines of India’s relaxed training session in Beckenham ahead of the fourth Test, the clarity of thought in the 27-year-old mind stood out. Having gotten a second chance in life following the life-changing car accident, Pant takes nothing for granted.
From making his international debut as a bubbly to 19-year-old to becoming the vice-captain of the current Test team, Pant has come a long way but in his mind, his journey in the top flight has just begun.
“Playing for India is not a destination. It’s a journey,” Pant would famously say in a Star Sports interview following his comeback from the car mishap.
Considering Pant is pretty much back from the dead, he giving his all on a broken foot should not come as a surprise after all. PTI KHS
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