India allrounder Shardul Thakur on Thursday praised Rishabh Pant’s “unmatched” courage and pain tolerance after Pant came out to bat on the second day of the fourth Test against England despite having a broken foot.
Speaking to reporters, Shardul confirmed that Pant indeed suffered a fracture while batting on the first day.
“I think it was always our plan to try and bring Pant to the middle. There were significant efforts from the medical team, so kudos to them,” said Shardul, referring to Pant’s fifty that helped India post 358 in their first innings.
“They managed to get Rishabh back onto the field, allowing him to bat for a while. The runs he scored were, of course, vital for the team.
“And yes, he was in a lot of pain. We have seen him perform many amazing feats, and this was yet another remarkable achievement for the team today,” added Shardul.
Shardul and his teammates were eager to see how Pant would approach his innings after resuming at an overnight score of 37, having retired hurt after being struck on his right foot while attempting a reverse sweep off England pacer Chris Woakes on Wednesday.
“Everyone was very excited to see how he would approach his innings. The passion he showed for the team today is unmatched. We have witnessed many instances in the past where players have batted with fractures. For example, Graeme Smith once batted for the South African team with a fractured hand. In these moments, the player’s grit is crucial.
“And I believe Rishabh’s positivity and grit help him endure his pain. His pain threshold is very high, so if he is in pain, it’s a serious injury,” said Thakur.
Regarding Pant batting in the second innings, Thakur said: “That decision lies with him and the medical team. In the morning, we thought he might be able to bat. Earlier, I had to check his foot to see if he could walk properly. If he could walk properly, then we could consider him batting.
“When we arrived at the ground and were warming up, he was not there. Then I went to bat, and I don’t know what happened after that. I believe there is a fracture,” confirmed Thakur.
England opener Zak Crawley was also surprised to see Pant in the middle.
“Not many people can do what Pant did today,” said Crawley, who put England in a strong position by sharing a 166-run opening stand with Ben Duckett.
England ended the day at 225 for two with Ollie Pope and Joe Root in the middle.
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