Former India head coach Ravi Shastri shared a surprising conversation he had with Rishabh Pant ahead of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford in Manchester. Pant had injured his finger during the third Test and was unable to keep wickets, with Dhruv Jurel stepping in as the replacement behind the stumps.
Shastri recalled asking Pant about the condition of his finger and whether he would be fit to play in the upcoming match.
“Before this Test I asked him how is that finger? Toota toh nahi hai? (it is not broken right?) You play this game. He said of course I’ll play. Toota bhi hota toh khelta (even if it was broken I would play),” Shastri said in a video released by the BCCI.
The former head coach praised Rishabh Pant’s determination, calling his return to bat despite a fractured toe truly remarkable. The left-hander was struck on his right toe on Day 1 of the fourth Test and had to walk off the field. Later scans confirmed it was a fracture. Despite concerns, Pant came back on Day 2 and continued his innings while carrying the injury.
“What he did today for the team, if that doesn’t lift the team up, nothing will. He just wants to play. And He loves playing Test cricket. He loves playing for the country. If anyone doubted he was a teamman, they got to see it firsthand today,” Shastri added.
Rishabh Pant Sets New Record As India’s Leading WTC Run-Scorer
Rishabh Pant resumed his innings on Day 2 from his overnight score of 37 and added 17 more runs before being dismissed for 54 off 75 balls. During this knock, he became India’s leading run-scorer in the World Test Championship (WTC).
Pant has now accumulated 2731 runs in 38 matches and 67 innings, with six centuries, 16 fifties, and an impressive average of 43.34—highlighting his consistency in the format. He surpassed Rohit Sharma, who previously led the charts with 2716 runs from 40 matches.
Pant has also been among India’s top performers in the ongoing series, scoring 479 runs in seven innings, including two centuries and three fifties.
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