Some moments in sports just make you shake your head in disbelief, and Rishabh Pant just delivered another one for the ages. We’ve seen him do some truly outrageous things on a cricket field, but coming out to bat with a broken foot? That’s a whole new level of unbelievable. It all started with a painful blow, and now it has ended with him being ruled out of the rest of the England series, leaving a massive hole in the Indian lineup.
Key Highlights
- ✓ Rishabh Pant suffered a foot fracture while attempting a reverse-sweep against a fast bowler.
- ✓ Despite the severe injury, he walked out to bat on Day 2 of the Manchester Test.
- ✓ He scored a courageous 54, including a pulled six off Jofra Archer, while visibly in pain.
- ✓ England legend Geoffrey Boycott bluntly stated Pant "has only himself to blame" for the injury.
- ✓ N Jagadeesan is now set to replace Pant for the remainder of the series.
The Shot That Caused the Chaos
Let’s set the scene. It was Day 1 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester. Pant, in his typical whirlwind style, was in the middle of a 48-ball stay. He decided to play a second reverse-sweep... against a fast bowler. The bowler, Chris Woakes, delivered the ball, and the impact on Pant's right foot was immediate and severe. You could tell right away this wasn't just a simple knock.
The irony is just staggering. Throughout the series, players have been talking about how the balls are going soft. This was even a slightly slower delivery, yet it had enough force to break a bone. An egg-sized swelling appeared almost instantly—a classic sign of a fracture. The pain was so intense he couldn't even put his foot down, and he eventually had to be carried off the field on a buggy. It was a tough sight to see.
A Scathing Verdict from a Legend
As news of the fracture spread, the opinions started rolling in. England legend Geoffrey Boycott, never one to mince his words, had a particularly blunt take. Speaking on a Telegraph podcast, he placed the blame squarely on Pant's shoulders. "It is always sad when a player gets hurt... Especially someone as talented as him. But he has only himself to blame," Boycott stated.
Boycott’s argument was that India was in a perfectly good position, batting orthodoxly and in control of the game. There was simply no need for such an "outrageous" shot at that moment. He acknowledged that these high-risk, high-reward strokes are the essence of Pant's batting—when they come off, he's a genius. But when they don't, as Boycott put it, "it can look silly." He felt this particular gamble might end up costing India the match.
The Unthinkable Return to the Crease
Overnight, videos surfaced of Pant returning from the hospital in a moonboot. On the morning of Day 2, while the team headed to the ground, he was back at the hospital for more checks. You'd assume he was done for the match, maybe even the series. Then, he showed up at the ground, still in a calf-high moonboot and using a crutch. Surely not, we all thought. Why would he even be there if he wasn't going to bat?
When Shardul Thakur fell, leaving India at 314 for 6, the impossible happened. Out walked Rishabh Pant. It made absolutely no sense from a cricketing perspective. India wasn't in a desperate situation. But this is Pant we're talking about—the man who smashed 97 in Sydney after a nasty elbow injury, the man who defied all medical timelines with his comeback from that horrific accident. The decision was likely left to him, because who could possibly tell this guy what he can or can't do?
A Masterclass in Grit and Guts
What followed was a truly remarkable display of courage. With his movements severely restricted and runners no longer allowed, Pant began to hobble singles—he took 14 of them. England, seeing his vulnerability, did what any competitive team would: they targeted the injury, bowling wide or aiming for his toe. One delivery from Jofra Archer came perilously close, bouncing just in front of his boot.
Even in that cocktail of pain and painkillers, his instincts took over. He picked a slower ball from Archer and pulled it for a stunning six. He brought up a gritty half-century off 69 balls with a four that flew off a defensive block. His brave innings finally ended on 54 when Archer produced an absolute beauty, a replica of the ball that got him at Lord's, to hit the top of his off-stump. The "reckless" shot led to the fracture, but the innings that followed was pure, unadulterated bravery.
The Fallout: A Scramble for a Replacement
The inevitable news came soon after: Pant has been ruled out of the remainder of the series with a fracture in his right toe. This left the selectors and team management scrambling for a replacement. The initial thought was Ishan Kishan, but it emerged that the 27-year-old keeper from Jharkhand is unavailable due to an injury of his own.
The selectors have now identified 29-year-old N Jagadeesan from Tamil Nadu as the man to fly in. Jagadeesan has been picked for his stellar domestic form, especially in red-ball cricket. He boasts a first-class average of 47.50 with 10 centuries, and in the last Ranji season, he amassed 674 runs. For the current Test, Dhruv Jurel will take over the wicketkeeping duties, but looking ahead, Jagadeesan is almost certain to join the squad.
Conclusion
So there you have it. It’s a story that perfectly encapsulates who Rishabh Pant is. On one hand, you have the "silly" and "reckless" shot that, as Geoffrey Boycott pointed out, was completely unnecessary and put his team in a tough spot. On the other, you have the awe-inspiring bravery of a man who refused to let a broken bone keep him down, fighting through the pain to support his team. It was maddening, illogical, and absolutely heroic all at once—and honestly, we wouldn't expect anything less from him.
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