For someone who once walked away from a life-threatening car crash, surrender is simply not in Rishabh Pant’s nature. On Thursday, the Indian vice-captain battled through pain once again, showing unmatched resolve despite a serious toe injury during the fourth Test against England in Manchester.
Toe Injury Couldn’t Stop Rishabh Pant’s Comeback
Pant had just recovered from a finger injury picked up in the previous Test at Lord’s. But during the first day at Old Trafford, he found himself in trouble again. A brutal yorker from Chris Woakes struck him on the right foot as he attempted a reverse sweep.
The impact left him in agony. Pant collapsed immediately, clearly in pain, and had to be taken for scans. Many feared the worst – that his innings was over, or that the injury could force him out of the match entirely.
But Pant, true to his fighting spirit, made his way back to the field. The moment he returned after the fall of Shardul Thakur, the Manchester crowd stood up to applaud. Their cheer said everything about Pant’s bravery.
Ben Stokes Applauds Rishabh Pant’s Courage
Even England’s captain, Ben Stokes, couldn’t help but admire what he saw. During one of his overs, Pant limped for a single, barely managing to put weight on his injured foot. Stokes noticed – and his face showed genuine respect.
Pure dedication 🇮🇳🫡
Even Ben Stokes couldn’t hold back the praise as @RishabhPant17 showed next-level grit, batting through injury & still scoring for the team.#ENGvIND 👉 4th TEST, DAY 2 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar 👉 https://t.co/Y3btplYguV pic.twitter.com/bJmYy70n8U
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 24, 2025
The cameras captured Stokes’s expression as he looked toward Pant, clearly moved by the Indian batter’s refusal to back down. The crowd, once again, roared in appreciation. This moment was shared by both England Cricket and the BCCI on social media.
Such sporting spirit is rare. Pant may have been battling England’s bowlers, but for a brief second, he had the admiration of even his biggest rivals.
Rishabh Pant Scores Fighting Fifty Despite Injury
Pant, who retired hurt on 37, came back with one goal: to push India’s total as far as he could. With the injury clearly affecting his movement, he still reached 54 off 75 balls – a gutsy effort that had grit written all over it.
Ben Stokes eventually got him out, finishing with figures of 5/72. But Pant had done his job, even smashing a six off Jofra Archer on one leg, then bringing up his 19th Test half-century with a crisp boundary.
India, who started the day at 264/4, suffered an early setback as Ravindra Jadeja fell to Archer. However, Shardul Thakur’s 41 and Washington Sundar’s 27 added valuable runs before Pant’s courageous knock pushed the team to 358.
ALSO READ: Sachin Tendulkar Applauds Rishabh Pant’s Determination Despite Toe Injury: ‘Playing Through Pain..’
