Rishabh Pant Limping But Unbroken: Joins Kumble, Smith and More in Cricket's Hall of Grit

ENG vs IND, 4th Test: Rishabh Pant’s gritty return with a fractured toe in the fourth Test against England evokes cricket’s greatest tales of courage, from Kumble’s wired jaw to Graeme Smith’s broken hand.

ENG vs IND, 4th Test: When Rishabh Pant limped down the Old Trafford pavilion steps on Thursday, every fan knew they were about to witness something different. His right toe fractured, the Indian vice-captain dragged himself to the middle, every step a reminder of the pain that shadowed him. India had lost Shardul Thakur for 41 on the first session of play on Day 2 of the 4th Test between England and India, and at 314 for six, they need someone to stand tall.

Pant could have stayed in the dressing room. Few would have blamed him. But cricket has always celebrated those who push beyond the limits of comfort, and on this day, Pant chose fight over rest.

A Legacy of Playing Through Pain

Pant’s grim march onto the field brought back vivid memories of cricketers who chose courage over caution:

• Ravichandran Ashwin, Sydney, 2021: Barely able to stand due to back spasms, Ashwin batted for over three hours, his partnership with Hanuma Vihari saving a Test that had seemed lost. 

• Graeme Smith, Sydney, 2009: With a broken hand, the South African captain returned at No. 11 in a desperate attempt to save the match. The crowd gave him a standing ovation, the scoreline irrelevant.

• Anil Kumble, Antigua, 2002: Jaw wired shut after a bouncer, Kumble bowled 14 overs of leg-spin and dismissed Brian Lara. “At least I can walk,” he quipped.

• Steve Waugh, The Oval, 2001: Battled a torn calf muscle to score a gritty century in an Ashes Test, later admitting, “Pain fades, but wearing the baggy green doesn’t come often.”
• Malcolm Marshall, Leeds, 1984: With a fractured thumb, he batted one-handed, every shot laced with agony, to help West Indies win.

• Brian Close, Manchester, 1976: At 45, he stood up to Michael Holding and Andy Roberts, his body turning purple with bruises as England fought to survive.
• Ewen Chatfield, Wellington, 1975: After being knocked unconscious by a bouncer and needing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Chatfield returned months later, refusing to let fear end his career. 
• Colin Cowdrey, Lord’s, 1963: With a broken arm in plaster, Cowdrey came out to bat at No. 11 against Wes Hall, prepared to defend England with one functioning hand.

Each tale different, yet all echo the same refrain: the game’s greatest battles are often fought against one’s own body.

Pant’s Journey of Defiance 

For Pant, the numbers told only part of the story. In December 2022, a horrific car crash left him with multiple fractures and doubts about whether he’d ever play cricket again. Returning to Test cricket itself was a triumph. Now, with a fractured toe, he once again chose pain over self-preservation.

At the crease, every push for a single was a grimace. Facing Ben Stokes with the second new ball, Pant was beaten outside off on his second delivery, then steadied himself. Rain ended play minutes before lunch, leaving him on 39 not out and India at 321-6. Washington Sundar, on 20, kept him company.

A Day Beyond the Scorecard 

India began the morning on 264-4. Ravindra Jadeja was an early casualty, edging Jofra Archer to Harry Brook at second slip. Shardul Thakur (41) and Washington added a vital 48-run stand before Stokes and Ben Duckett combined to dismiss Thakur with a spectacular diving catch at gully.

Pant, unfit to keep wicket and replaced by Dhruv Jurel behind the stumps, knew his team needed him with the bat. There were no runners — a law long abolished. Each hobble between the creases told its own story.

Fans watching on television and in the stands felt a lump in their throats. Social media lit up with clips of Pant’s limp, many recalling Yuvraj Singh’s lung-cancer fight during the 2011 World Cup, when he collapsed between overs yet came back to finish matches.

These moments remind us why cricket resonates so deeply: not because of statistics, but because of the human stories behind them. Pant’s innings, like Kumble’s wired jaw and Smith’s broken hand, belongs in cricket’s unofficial Hall of Heroes.

England lead the five-Test series 2-1, and India’s first-innings total of 321-6 may not decide the match. Yet years from now, the enduring image of this day will not be the numbers. It will be of Pant, dragging his injured foot, each run wrung out of pain, standing as the latest symbol of cricket’s oldest tradition — refusing to give in.

Because the bruises heal, the scorecards fade, but stories like these live on.