Rishabh Pant’s heroic batting display on day two of the ongoing fourth Test against England has earned him praise from all over. The wicketkeeper-batsman’s participation in the match looked as good as over after he copped a painful blow on his right foot while batting on day one.
The impact left him with a swollen and bloody foot. The India star was not even able to stand on his foot as he was take out of the field on a buggy. However, he stunned the cricketing world by coming out to bat with a broken foot.
He was on 37 when he walked out to bat and went on to score 54 runs. Even though England’s bowlers kept targeting his foot, Rishabh Pant faced them bravely before being castled by Jofra Archer. The wicketkeeper-batsman walked off the field to a standing ovation from all around.
Rishabh Pant eyeing India captaincy:
Impressed by Rishabh Pant’s courageous show against England, former India batsman Hemang Badani heaped praise on him and called him the future captain of the team. Badani stated that even though Pant is the vice-captain of the Test team at present, he is a big candidate to become the captain in future.
“You need to commend him for his courage. The guy couldn’t even stand yesterday (Day 1). A golf buggy had come in for him, and he was taken away in that. It’s not easy to bat with a fractured foot. You can somehow manage with an injured hand, but the weight of your entire body is on your foot,” the Delhi Capitals head coach said on Sony Sports.
“You have to bat and run with that foot. It was a moment of courage. He is telling the team that he is this team’s leader, that he is not just a normal player, and is going to be a future leader.”
“He is the vice-captain for the time being, but he wants to be a guy who can be trusted. He has shown his batting many times, but this is a moment for the future,” added the former player.
Talking about the game, India’s innings finished on 358 runs. In reply, England have responded in a strong fashion and finished day two on 225/2. Openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley set the tone for the England innings by scoring 94 and 84 respectively.