Injured Rishabh Pant limps back to make fifty, gets an ovation

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant surprised cricket fans by hobbling down from the dressing room with an injured foot to bat on the second day of the fourth Test at Manchester on Thursday.

A BCCI source had said earlier that Pant was likely to be out of the remainder of the series as he had fractured his right toe on the opening day while batting on 37. Pant sustained the injury while attempting to reverse sweep England pacer Chris Woakes.

However, the left-hander came out to bat at the fall of Shardul Thakur (314/6). He managed to bat through till lunch without aggravating his injury. 

Pant ran a few singles to enter 40s then smashed a slower delivery from Jofra Archer for 6 to get himself to 49. A boundary off Stokes in the next over got him to fifty. But his valiant innings was ended by Archer, bowled for 54. Pant received a round of applause as he walked back. 

Earlier, the BCCI had confirmed that Pant will skip wicket-keeping duties during the fourth Test. His availability in the fifth Test remains doubtful.

Pant was impressive throughout the series with his flamboyant style, scoring two centuries and as many fifties across six innings.

India have a handful of players out injured, with Nitish Kumar Reddy having a knee problem, Akash Deep suffering a groin niggle and Arshdeep Singh sustaining a finger injury. India trail the five-match series 1-2.

India could bring in Ishan Kishan as cover in the wicket-keeping department. Dhruv Jurel, the other wicketkeeper in the squad, is not part of the fourth Test, while India might get K L Rahul to keep wickets when they bowl.