
"He Is A Batter Who England Fear": Sanjay Manjrekar's Massive Praise For India Star
"Rishabh Pant will play in his way no matter what the situation is. He should get that license because he deserves it. The batting unit has to function well. Jaiswal must think a bit about how he got out. He should make use of his form. Pant, I feel, is a big player at No.5. He is a batter who England fear," Manjrekar said on Star Sports.
Pant is expected to play in the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford starting from July 23, according to Sky Sports.
In the 34th over, bowled by Jasprit Bumrah on Day 1 of the third Test, Pant made a dive to pick up the ball, but could not get it cleanly in his hands, making England pick two runs off byes.
Following that, he was seen in a lot of pain and had to leave the field for medical attention. Young Dhruv Jurel took the field as he replaced Pant as the wicketkeeper of the team in the second session of the first day of the Test match.
Despite the finger injury Pant batted in both the innings, he made a brilliant 74 (112). During the knock, Pant smoked the ball into the stands for two towering maximums to break Viv Richards' milestone for most sixes against England in the format.
Although he was cleaned up by a beauty from Jofra Archer in the second innings for 9 off 12 balls. He was fit enough to bat but was unable to keep wickets.

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India.com
26 minutes ago
- India.com
Star India cricketer reveals who asked Rishabh Pant to bat with injury, says ‘was having a discussion…
Star India cricketer reveals who asked Rishabh Pant to bat with injury, says 'was having a discussion… New Delhi: Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar praised vice-captain Rishabh Pant's decision to come out to bat despite a broken right leg on the second day of the fourth Test. Manjrekar called it a moment that the cricket world will remember for the next 50 years. How did Pant return to the field? On Thursday, Pant, who retired hurt due to injury on the first day, was greeted with a standing ovation by the spectators when he came out to bat limping on the second day. He played a courageous innings of 54 runs off 75 balls, which was his 18th half-century in Test cricket. Why was this decision taken? Manjrekar said, 'When we saw him talking to Gautam Gambhir and he was in his white dress, we thought he might come at the end of the innings. But he came on the field after the next wicket. He is injured, but never underestimate this player.' He further said, 'Even if he is told that he cannot move his feet, he can still control the game with his excellent eye and hand coordination. England should be worried that Rishabh Pant is back, even if he is clearly in pain.' What is the significance of this moment? Manjrekar compared this incident to Anil Kumble bowling with a bandage on his jaw. He said, 'Such moments are recorded in history, which are remembered for decades. This shows how eager he is to play for India.' He further said, 'Test cricket has a different charm in England. The amount of attention a cricketer gets here is not found anywhere else. Perhaps this is the reason why Pant has made up his mind to leave his mark in Test cricket as compared to white-ball cricket.' Who else contributed? Apart from Pant, Sai Sudarshan scored 61 and Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 58 runs to help India post 358 in the first innings. Manjrekar said, 'This is a story that I will always carry with me. This Indian team is playing without two senior batsmen – experienced players like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are not in the team, yet they have batted almost 750 overs in this series.' He concluded, 'With almost no experience, this team has shown tremendous composure and discipline. It shows the hunger and maturity of this group.'


Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Pant out of England series with fractured toe
Manchester: India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was on Thursday ruled out of the ongoing Test series against England after fracturing his toe on the opening day of the fourth Test here, adding to a growing injury list and robbing the visitors of his much-needed flamboyance with the bat. The 27-year-old Pant retired hurt at 37 and went for scans after copping a blow on his right foot while attempting a reverse sweep off England pacer Chris Woakes on Wednesday. Going into day two, all the chatter at Old Trafford was about Pant, who is probably the only one in the current Indian batting line-up with an ability to change the momentum with his audacious stroke-play. After undergoing additional scans, Pant arrived at the stadium wearing a moon boot (a protective orthopaedic boot) to support his injured foot. 'He is ruled out for the next six weeks. Ishan Kishan will be called in as cover. His metatarsal bones (a group of five long bones located between the ankle and toe) seem to be shattered. It doesn't look good at all,' a BCCI source told PTI. An official update from the BCCI is still awaited. But the severity of the injury was apparent given the blood that was seen seeping off Pant's right foot. The affected area had considerable swelling as well. On day one, Pant was the only one to take the attack to Jofra Archer and Co. while the other batters struck at three runs per over. Before getting hit on his right foot, Pant had perfected an outrageous sweep off Archer before smashing Brydon Carse down the ground as if he was a spinner. India have already lost all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy to a knee problem, while pacers Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh are missing the ongoing game because of a groin niggle and a finger injury respectively. Pant's ouster adds to the problems for the team which is trailing 1-2 right now. Kishan, who recently played two County matches for Nottinghamshire, was also a part of the India A squad that faced the England Lions ahead of the Test series, though the 26-year-old did not appear in any of the two matches. The think tank can also ask KL Rahul to keep wickets, but he has not performed that role since the tour of South Africa in the 2023-24 season. 'He hardly put his foot on the ground (after the impact). The immediate swelling was a worry for me. I have had a metatarsal injury myself and they are small fragile bones. 'The fact that he could not put any weight on it, it doesn't look good at all,' Ricky Ponting, who is commentating on the game, had said on 'Sky Sports' after the incident. Dhruv Jurel, the other wicketkeeper in the squad, was not picked for the current match. The fifth and final Test of the series is scheduled to be held at London's Kennington Oval from July 31. This was the second injury for Pant in this series as he had bruised his finger while keeping during the third Test at the Lord's, which prevented him from guarding the stumps in England's second innings. The flamboyant player made his comeback to international cricket only last year after surviving a life-threatening car crash in 2022.


India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
DRS: Is it time for injury replacements in cricket?
It was truly a brave sight to behold when Rishabh Pant came out to bat on Day 2 of the Manchester Test. The Indian vice-captain was feeling the pain, but he fought through it as the crowd at Old Trafford, regardless of their allegiances, stood up and applauded him for his bravery. Pant came in struggling, but battled his way to 54 as India posted these moments are stirring and make you understand why these players put their bodies on the line for the nation's cause—was it necessary? Mind you, Pant is someone who made a long recovery from a car crash a few years ago and was already injured during the Lord's Test. His fearless batting prowess was greatly reduced as he was in pain and shouldn't have had to put his body on the line in this match and risk aggravating the injury. With a broken toe, Pant is expected to be out for some time, meaning India will be without one of their best batters for the remainder of the tour—having already scored 479 runs from seven raises the question: should cricket introduce a substitutes system like some of the other team sports? The best example is football, where each team is allowed to make at least five changes to their lineup during 90 minutes—either as part of strategy or to preserve player energy. Something similar happens in basketball, while hockey has flying substitutes who come in and leave throughout the game. In cricket, we currently have the concussion substitute system, introduced by the ICC in April 2019. That rule comes with some conditions—only a like-for-like replacement for the injured player can be made. The ICC also introduced COVID substitutes during the pandemic era, which allowed a player showing signs of COVID-19 during the course of the game to be replaced with a like-for-like player. Pant was carted off the field on Day one (Courtesy: Reuters) Now, Pant's episode has certainly divided opinion on whether substitutes should be introduced more broadly in cricket. Shardul Thakur said that it would be unfair for other teams if the system were to come into play during the current cycle and should instead be considered for the next one."I think, I think there's some discussion going on if I'm not wrong. I was reading, reading it in the news, uh, whether that should come in play or not, right now I couldn't say much, but if it happens, I would say it should happen after this cycle of WTC. It shouldn't happen in the middle because already there are a few series that have been playing in world cricket. And it could be unfair when it comes to the points table and qualifying for the finals, looking at the whole WTC cycle," said Vaughan, on the other hand, batted for substitutes to come in for serious injuries like the one Pant suffered.'I don't like the fact that we've got four days left and we're heading into what is effectively a 10 vs 11 contest,' Michael Vaughan said. 'When concussion substitutes were introduced, I felt we should've gone a step further. If someone suffers a clear injury — like a broken foot or a ruptured muscle — they should be allowed to be replaced.'In the latest episode of Democratic Review System, an opinion-based column, sports reporters, producers and writers from the India Today Group share their your thoughts in the comment box below.1. Nikhil NazNo. Because how do you define an external injury— will a bruise and scratch be judged the same way as a dislocation or fracture? This leaves a lot of ambiguity and will allow teams to exploit this loophole to correct any selection mistakes they have made at the start of the match. Bottom line— fitness and injuries are an integral part of sport, you take it as 'bad-luck' and move on with the Sabyasachi ChowdhuryI believe the rule can be introduced, but only after thorough analysis and careful deliberation. The ICC must ensure the process is airtight, leaving no room for potential loopholes that could be exploited in the future. In Rishabh Pant's case, it's certainly unfortunate, but allowing a like-for-like replacement in such situations seems only fair and reasonable.3. Sidharth ViswanathanSimple answer for a complicated sport. NO. At a time when there has been a massive debate on what is a like-for-like replacement in a concussion substitute scenario, a substitute for external injuries will only complicate matters. If the MCC clearly defined what is an external injury, then a step can be taken. But, the backdrop of this is also debatable. In Manchester, Rishabh Pant suffered an injury primarily out of his own doing. If he has not played that shot, probably the injury would not have happened and the debate would not have arisen. Had India not exploited the grey areas in the concussion substitute situation, then this could have been seriously Akshay RameshYes, cricket remains one of the few major sports that does not permit standard substitutions for injuries. After considerable deliberation, concussion substitutes were finally introduced, and Covid-19 replacements have been in place since the onset of the pandemic. However, it is unfortunate that a team must suffer the consequences of an injury, something that is an inherent part of the ICC Cricket Committee should seriously consider allowing like-for-like replacements in the event of maintain the spirit and integrity of the game, the ICC and the MCC could collaborate to formulate clear guidelines and implement a robust framework. This could involve mandatory assessments by independent medical professionals or team doctors to authorise substitutions, thereby preventing any potential misuse of the replacements, if properly regulated, would be a progressive step forward in modernising the sport and ensuring fairness, especially in a format like Test cricket.5. Harshit AhujaWhile injuries are a part of any sport, for a sport that is already grappling with complex rules, allowing subs for external injuries could invite more controversy. Unlike internal injuries, which can easily be faked, there is visual proof of external injuries but that still doesn't completely eliminate the possibility of teams misusing their substitute. A swelling or a cut makes for visible proof but it could be difficult to ascertain if the wound/injury is severe enough for a player to carry on or not. Also, while most team sports, like football, hockey, & basketball, to name a few, allow substitutes, there are others like Judo, Table Tennis & rowing that don't have that provision. Too bad that we can have a 10 vs 11 situation in a match, but it is what it Sidharth GulatiYes!Understandably, there's a grey area around 'external injury'. I feel that it should be left entirely to the discretion of the match referee, backed by clear medical proof. The implementation would need uncomplicated guidelines to prevent any misuse.7. Rishabh BeniwalInjury substitutes make even more logical sense for a sport like cricket, as every player's contribution is immensely important in the game. In a format like Test cricket, losing one player due to an injury, especially if they're your main strike bowler or premier batter, leaves a massive hole in any team. Hence, injury substitutes can be the way forward to provide an even contest between two teams if one player is forced to sit out. However, there should be rules to prevent its misuse by any team as the law has the potential to add more controversy to the game.8. Alan John This is something that the ICC should test out. The injury to Pant has essentially left India handicapped in two departments for two straight games as he will be missed as a batter and behind the stumps. Maybe, the substitute should be allowed only after proper tests from a neutral medical facility and only after seeing the reports. And yes, the system of only having like-for-like replacements should be implemented here as well.- EndsTune InMust Watch