'Rishabh set the bar very high...': Star India cricketer reveals why he continued batting with broken hand in 5th Test

India.com

4 hours ago

Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant has had a wonderful tour in England with India, with two test centuries in the first test at Leeds and three half-centuries. But unfortunately, Pant's tour ended when he sustained an injurious blow while batting in the fourth test at Old Trafford. Pant attempted a reverse sweep off Chris Woakes on day 1 and was struck on his right boot, causing him considerable pain and forcing him to walk out of the field.
Karun Nair said Pant set high benchmark for others to follow
Later scans confirmed that Pant had fractured his foot, yet he bravely returned to bat on the second day and went on to score a half-century despite the pain. It was a remarkable display of grit and determination from the India Test vice-captain, and Karun Nair feels it has set a very high benchmark for others to follow.
In fact, Nair himself sustained an injury that initially went unnoticed. While batting in the second innings of the 5th Test at The Oval, he was hit on the hand by a rising delivery, which led to a minor fracture.
'During the series, I think Rishabh has set a very high standard of what we are supposed to be doing as players,' Nair told Revsportz. 'In the 4th Test, he went out to bat with a broken foot and scored a fifty. He inspired so many of us in the dressing room and showed the kind of player and person he is by putting the team first. So, it struck me in a way that it did something to me, and thus it became really easy for me to decide what to do for the team.'
Nair made his return to the Indian team after a long gap
After a long gap, Nair returned to the Indian team and had a decent series with the bat. He amassed 205 runs at an average of 25.62 in four Test matches, which included a half-century.
Niar played a key role in several partnerships during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He shared that head coach Gautam Gambhir reminded him it's the partnerships built in testing situations that truly matter, rather than just individual scores.
'The only thing in my head was what Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) had kept telling me earlier, that 'it doesn't matter how many runs you score, It's about the partnerships that you can create, and at the end of the day, those partnerships are going to take us to a win on a tricky wicket'. So, It's not about individual scores and I was just out there looking to do my best and score as many runs as I can, and more importantly, create those partnerships playing in those difficult periods,' he said.