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.'
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