Manchester: India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who will miss the fifth Test at The Oval due to a fractured foot, gave a parting message to his teammates, saying that they should go for a win to level the series 2-2, which is currently led by England 2-1.
Pant showed relentless courage when he came out to bat during India’s first innings and completed the half-century despite battling pain in the fractured right foot. He was hit by pacer Chris Woakes on the yorker, which took the edge of the bat and hit badly on his right boot. The injury forced him to retire on that day before coming out to bat again the next day.
Reflecting on the team’s effort to salvage a draw at Old Trafford after centuries from captain Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, along with a gritty 90 from KL Rahul that frustrated the hosts to settle for a stalemate in the final session on Sunday, Pant said, “Just a gesture from my side. Whatever it takes to make our team win or put the team forward instead of thinking about the personal goal, that was all for me.”
“Definitely, it’s been amazing the way they backed me. The team is under pressure. Everything is there, but when the whole countrystand behind you for the same cause, that is something. That emotion is difficult to explain, how proud I feel to represent my country,” Pant said in a video posted on the BCCI website.
“The only message I’m going to give my team is, let’s win it, guys. Let’s do it for the country,” he added.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir, who always talks about the team rather than individuals, lauded Pant’s courageous display in Manchester and said his act will set the foundation of the team.
“The foundation of this Test team will be based on what Rishabh has done for this team. I hate talking about individuals. I have never spoken about individuals in a team sport. You have not only inspired this dressing room, but the next generation. This is what you have done and the legacy you have created for yourself and for everyone in this dressing room. So very well done, and the country will always be proud of you,” Gambhir said.
All-rounder Sundar, who scored his maiden Test hundred just before shaking hands with England players for a draw, also heaped praise on Pant’s gesture of putting his body on the line.
“It’s very difficult to even put in the feeling that he would be going through because he fractured his toe (foot) and he’s in pain. I saw his foot and it was swollen really badly. I think for him to walk around takes a lot, but he did a lot more than that. The whole country is proud of him and he’s just the son of the country,” said Sundar of Pant.
For the final Test of the series, Narayan Jagadeesan has been named as Pant’s replacement. The match will be played at The Oval in London from July 31.
