Top 5 Injured Test Match Players Who Refused To Step Down
Test cricket, truly extraordinary moments of grit have been witnessed, with none more inspiring than those stories of players who defied pain to stand by their team. Anil Kumble bowled with a broken jaw against West Indies, while Graeme Smith walked out to save a match with a fractured hand. Malcolm Marshall, despite a broken thumb, both batted and tore through England’s batting. Rick McCosker came back to the crease with his jaw wired shut in the Centenary Test. Hanuma Vihari batted through a torn hamstring to engineer a heroic draw against Australia in 2021 and most recently Rishabh Pant who was going through a toe injury decided to come up and play for his country.
Anil Kumble
Indian superstar Anil Kumble batted first and came in at number seven in a wild Test that was noteworthy for several reasons. Kumble was later diagnosed with a broken jaw after being struck in the jaw by a Mervyn Dillon bouncer. However, he returned to the pitch, bandaged and patched, and continued to bat instead of immediately heading to the hospital.
Rishabh Pant
Less than 24 hours after suffering a fractured right toe in a reverse sweep on Day 1 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Pant limped out onto the field to bat and helped India to a draw with a gutsy 54 off 75 balls. Although the BCCI later declared he would miss the fifth Test at The Oval and be replaced by Narayan Jagadeesan while he continued his rehabilitation under medical care, his bravery won him worldwide acclaim.
Graeme smith
Despite having a broken hand and an injured elbow, Graeme Smith bravely batted at number 11 against Australia in the 2009 Sydney Test. In a desperate attempt to salvage the game, he faced 17 deliveries, winning praise for his bravery all over the world.
Malcolm Marshall
With a plastered hand and a broken thumb, Malcolm Marshall participated in the 1984 Test match against England. In spite of the injury, he batted to help a teammate reach a century before putting on a spectacular display in which he claimed seven wickets.
Rick McCosker
A delivery from Bob Willis shattered Rick McCosker's jaw during the 1977 Centenary Test match against England. Despite having his jaw wired shut, he somehow came back in the second innings to assist Australia win a historic match by hitting crucial runs.
