Shardul Thakur : Team India all-rounder Shardul Thakur applauded keeper-batter Rishabh Pant for batting despite a fractured toe on Day 2 of the Manchester Test against England. Praising the 27-year-old for his valiant half-century, Thakur stated that Pant has a very high pain-bearing capacity.
Shardul Thakur : India resumed Day 2 of the Manchester Test against England on Thursday, July 24 at 264-4. Pant came into bat despite a fracture on his toe after Thakur was dismissed for 41. The keeper-batter, who was batting on 37 when he retired hurt, went on to score 54 runs before he was knocked over by a brute from Jofra Archer.
Shardul Thakur : Speaking at a press conference following the end of the second day’s play at Old Trafford, Thakur was effusive in his praise of Pant. He said:
Shardul Thakur : “Everyone was excited to see how he approaches his innings. The grit he showed for the team is unmatched. We have had instances of cricketers batting with a fracture in the past. Graeme Smith had once batted with a fractured hand. Players’ grit comes to the fore during these moments. As for Rishabh, he is very positive and his pain-bearing capacity is very high.
Here comes Rishabh Pant…
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 24, 2025
A classy reception from the Emirates Old Trafford crowd 👏 pic.twitter.com/vBwSuKdFcW
The 33-year-old admitted that Pant was in a lot of pain and credited the medical staff for their efforts in ensuring that the left-hander could go out and bat. He said:
“There were quite a few efforts from the medical team. Kudos to them, they could get Rishabh Pant back on the field. He could bat there for a while and scored vital runs for the team. He was in a lot of pain. We have seen him doing amazing things and this was another amazing thing that he did for the team.”
When you represent your country at any level, that’s the kind of courage and fighting spirit you show. Hats off to Rishabh Pant for walking out to bat despite the injury. 🇮🇳💪 #RishabhPant #INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/oQbUAStA7D
— Yusuf Pathan (@iamyusufpathan) July 24, 2025
Pant was the ninth wicket to fall in India’s innings, with the score at 349. The visitors were all-out for 358 as Ben Stokes claimed five wickets for England, while Archer picked up three.
“He was not in the bus in the morning” – Shardul Thakur on uncertainty around Pant’s availability
After Pant had to leave the field, grimacing in extreme pain on Day 1 of the Manchester Test, not many gave him a chance of coming out and batting on Thursday. Thakur confirmed that the injured star was not in the team bus in the morning. He, however, joined the team later, with the BCCI issuing an update that Pant would bat if the team needed him to. Revisiting the events, Thakur said:
“He was not in the bus in the morning. He was taken to hospital in the hope that he could bat later. First, he had to put his foot down and see if he was able to walk. He had not arrived by the time the warm-ups began. After that, I went into bat, so I don’t know what happened after that.”
As per reports, Pant has been ruled out of the fifth Test. Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batter N Jagadeesan is likely to replace him for the last Test of the series.
