This is Rishabh Pant’s extraordinary return to Test cricket. One year after being nearly killed by a car while riding his bicycle, he proved his strength and grit. The 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, who has been a standout player throughout the series, faced a challenging situation during the match against England, where he sustained an injury but continued to contribute significantly to his team’s performance.
Pant’s Test return started in September, almost two years after he survived a potentially deadly car accident. Since then, he has established himself as one of the first names on the team-sheet for India, showing prolific form right before his injury. During the match, Pant was struck on the boot by a delivery from England’s Chris Woakes on the first evening, raising concerns about his ability to continue. Incredibly, even after this blow, he continued to hit and reached 54 runs, allowing India to amass a total of 358 all out.
Pant’s only failure was when […] Pant fell to Jofra Archer, who knocked out his off stump. His injury progressively got worse to the point where he had to hop off the field. Pant was unable to continue keeping wicket for the rest of the match, but the fight he showed that day and since resonated deeply. He walked back to the crease with a thunderous standing ovation from the crowd when Shardul Thakur was caught, leaving India 314 for six. During his stay at the crease, Pant was clearly limping but still had the time and technique to dispatch Archer for a huge six over the leg side.
Pant’s fifty was his third of the summer and added to a frankly ludicrous overall series run total of 479 runs. His run of success propelled him into England’s record books, catapulting past former captain Alec Stewart. He became the highest-scoring wicketkeeper in a single Test series in England’s history. Pant now has centuries in both innings of the opening Test. With this performance, he stakes his claim as the most explosive batsman in modern-era cricket.
Repeatedly, Pant can’t wear the gloves due to his injury. Dhruv Jurel will take over behind the stumps for the remaining Test. This transition represents a watershed moment for both players. As Jurel takes on the mantle of the team’s most key position, Pant’s journey of fighting through struggles continues.
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