Rishabh Pant’s courageous decision to bat despite a visible injury on Day 2 of the fourth Test against England has drawn widespread acclaim, with JioHotstar expert Sanjay Manjrekar highlighting it as a moment that will be remembered for decades to come. Pant, India's Vice-Captain, showcased immense determination, walking out to bat far earlier than anticipated, even as he was clearly in pain.
Manjrekar, speaking on ‘Match Centre Live’ after the first session, lauded Pant’s bravery. "When we saw Rishabh Pant with Gautam Gambhir having a chat, he was in his whites — we thought maybe he might come out to bat at the end of the innings. Who would’ve thought he’d walk in after the fall of the very next wicket?" Manjrekar remarked, emphasising the surprise element of Pant's return to the crease.
Pant had retired hurt on Day 1 after taking a blow to his right foot, which was later confirmed to be a fractured toe. Despite reports advising him to take six weeks of rest, the dynamic left-hander defied expectations. His decision to bat, albeit with discomfort, underscored his profound commitment to the national team.
"He is injured, but don’t rule out this guy," Manjrekar continued, acknowledging Pant's exceptional hand-eye coordination, which allows him to dominate even when movement is restricted. "If he's told one day that he can't move his feet, he’s got such wonderful hand-eye coordination that he'll still be able to dominate. So England would be worried that Rishabh Pant is back, even though he looked clearly in pain."
Manjrekar drew parallels between Pant's current act of defiance and iconic moments in cricket history, specifically recalling Anil Kumble bowling with a strapped jaw. "This is clearly Rishabh Pant’s decision; he decided, 'I'm going to go out there.' And when you do things like this — gestures like Anil Kumble bowling with his jaw strapped, those are moments in history you remember 50 years from now. It shows how keen he is to turn up for India."
The former 온라인카지노 cricketer also shed light on Pant's apparent preference for the longest format, suggesting it explains his differing impact across formats. "There’s something about Test cricket, especially when it’s being played in England. Look at the amount of attention you get as a cricketer here. This is where he wants to give his best. If you wonder why he hasn't made the same impact in white-ball cricket, maybe this is why. Because Pant wants to leave a mark on Test cricket more than any other format.”
Jonathan Trott echoed Manjrekar’s sentiments, praising Pant’s bravery and acknowledging the added frustration for the English side. "This shows the bravery of Rishabh Pant. His presence will only extend India’s innings and frustrate England even more," Trott stated. However, he also expressed concern for Pant's long-term fitness, given he was already nursing a sore finger and now a severely sore foot.
"You just hope he doesn’t pick up another injury while recovering. Still, I’m really interested to see what happens if he gets going. If he starts batting with the tailenders, it’ll be fascinating to see how he goes about hitting the ball. But for now, this shows his intent and how much he wants to be out there for India.”
Beyond Pant's individual heroics, Manjrekar heaped praise on India’s young batting unit, which has shown remarkable resilience in challenging overseas conditions, notably without two senior batters like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane.
"This is a story I’m going to take home with me forever. This 온라인카지노 team is missing two senior batters, and there are no senior players like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane; yet, they’ve batted nearly 750 overs in the series. That’s just incredible. With almost no experience, they’ve shown outstanding temperament and discipline. It speaks volumes about the hunger and maturity in this group.”
