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The India vice-captain reflects on a gritty knock in Manchester before his injury ruled him out of the final England Test.

India’s vice-captain, Rishabh Pant, is grateful for the support he has received since he was ruled out of the final Test against England. After getting a toe-crushing yorker from Chris Woakes in the fourth Test at Manchester, Pant returned to the crease and played a gritty knock that took India to 358 over the course of the match. According to an update, he expressed gratitude for fans’ support, saying it has given him strength during recovery, and he is determined to return to action soon.

In the second innings, the 27-year-old did not go on the field and stayed in the dressing room, taking care of the wicketkeeping. In his absence, Washington Sundar rose to the occasion with a gritty unbeaten 101 off 296 balls, playing a crucial role alongside Ravindra Jadeja in helping India secure a memorable draw at Old Trafford.

Rishabh Pant went on to his official Twitter account and gave an update as he wrote, “Appreciate all the love and good wishes coming my way. It’s been a real source of strength. I will begin rehab once my fracture heals and I am slowly settling into the process. Staying patient, following routines and giving it my 100 per cent. Playing for the country has always been the proudest moment of my life. Can’t wait to be back doing what I love.”

The pain on Pant’s face became obvious as blood trickled out as he removed his boot. After being hit on 37 balls out of 54, Pant had to leave the field on a golf buggy.

On the second day, Pant shocked everyone. With India at 314/6 before lunch, he returned to the crease to a huge crowd ovation. Pant demonstrated his trademark aggression and pulled a delivery with brute force to smash his 90th Test six, drawing level with India’s highest six-hitter, Virender Sehwag.

He followed up with a crisp drive to the boundary to complete a gritty half-century. However, England pacer Jofra Archer brought an end to Pant’s brave knock of 54 off 75 balls, knocking his off-stump out of the ground with a fiery delivery.

At the post-match press conference, India head coach Gautam Gambhir was full of praise for the left-handed wicketkeeper. He said, “One thing I want to highlight is that the character and foundation of this team will be shaped by what Rishabh did—for the team and for the country.”

“Any amount of praise is not enough for him. Especially batting with a broken foot. Not many people have done that in the past, and he has put his hand up, and that is why I say any amount of praise. I can sit here and talk about this for hours and hours. I think the generations to come forward will talk about this,” he added.

In the final match of the thrilling series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batter Narayan Jagadeesan to replace Rishabh Pant. With a scoring average of 68.42, Pant scored 479 runs in four Tests and seven innings, including two centuries and three half-centuries.