It Was Always In Our Plan To Get Pant To Bat: Shardul Thakur

When day two of the Manchester Test began, there was a lot of doubt whether Rishabh Pant would even come out to bat. But as it turned out on July 24 (Thursday), the Indian wicketkeeper not just came out to bat but showed great mastery to smash a valiant half-century. 

Pant’s heroic efforts made the whole country stop and applaud at his show. Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur shed light on Pant’s heroic efforts, stating that the medical team were always trying to get Pant out to bat in the middle on day two of the Manchester Test. 

"I think it was always our plan (to try and bring Pant to the middle). There were quite a few efforts from the medical team. So, yes, kudos to them," said Shardul in the post-day press conference. 

"They could get Rishabh back onto the field. He could bat there for a while. And whatever he did, it's of course vital runs for the team he scored.

"And yes, he was in a lot of pain. And we have seen him doing a lot of amazing things. And this was just another amazing thing that he did for the team today," added Shardul.

Shardul didn’t stop there, comparing Pant’s efforts to yesteryear superstar Graeme Smith, who walked out to bat with a fractured hand against Australia. 

"Everyone was very excited to see how he would approach for his innings. And I think what he showed today, the passion he showed for the team is unmatched. We have seen a lot of instances in the past when they have batted with fractures.

"I think there was a time when Graeme Smith was batting in the South African team. His hand was fractured. So, in these moments, the grit of the player comes into play.

"And I think Rishabh's positivity and his grit keeps him away from all the pains and whatever pain he has. His pain-bearing capacity is very high. If he is in pain, it is a big injury," said Thakur.

However, the all-rounder also provided an update that could leave the Indian fans worried, as he revealed that Pant has a fractured foot, which could see him being ruled out of the remainder of the five-match Test series. 

"If he is able to walk properly, then we can talk about batting and when we reached the ground and got warmed up, he was not there and then I went for batting. I don't know what happened after that and I think there is a fracture. The news is already out. There is a fracture and it can't be doubted," he noted.