Rishabh Pant experienced a distressing incident during the fourth Test match between India and England in Manchester, as he suffered a freak injury while batting. On the fourth delivery of the 68th over, Pant attempted a reverse sweep off Chris Woakes but misconnected, resulting in the ball striking his toe. He immediately showed signs of considerable pain, struggling to stand before ultimately leaving the field.
Prior to this injury, Pant had contributed a solid 37 runs from 48 balls, including two fours and a six, and he had formed a valuable partnership, adding 72 runs for the fourth wicket alongside Sai Sudharsan. Unfortunately, he was just three runs shy of breaking Rohit Sharma’s record as India’s highest run-scorer in the World Test Championship when he was forced to exit.
This recent injury follows a previous incident during the third Test, where he sustained a finger injury that prevented him from keeping wickets after 34 overs. Should Pant be unable to return for the remainder of the fourth Test, Dhruv Jurel is poised to take over wicketkeeping duties for India.
Interestingly, Pant’s performance also marked milestones in his career, as he collected his 89th six in Test cricket, surpassing Rohit Sharma’s count of 88. Only Virender Sehwag stands ahead of him with 90 sixes in this format. Furthermore, Pant recently became the first non-English wicketkeeper to surpass 1000 Test runs in England, adding to his impressive achievements.
Fans and cricket enthusiasts are hopeful for his quick recovery, as Pant is an integral part of the Indian cricket setup, bringing dynamic batting and significant records to his name. The cricket community awaits updates on his condition and the potential impact on the ongoing series.