Gargi Raut at Lord’s
Rishabh Pant is no stranger to pain. The man who cheated death and went through fifteen months of excruciating pain, frustration and patience has now scripted himself in the echelons of history. He has now become the highest run-scoring Indian wicketkeeper in a Test series in England with back-to-back centuries in the first Test match and subsequent high-scoring performances. Back in December 2022, news broke of Pant’s accident—a video of the wicketkeeper-batter covered in blood, lacerations and burns broke the internet; “I am Rishabh Pant, Indian cricketer”, he said to the man who pulled him out of his burning car.
As the nation learned of his injuries, it became evident that Pant would be sidelined for a significant period. He had suffered a severely dislocated knee with every ligament torn, and had narrowly avoided the risk of losing a limb; a possibility if the blood vessels in his knee had been damaged. Concerns had been raised over Pant ever walking again, let alone bat or keep the wickets. One of the most renowned specialists in Indian sports, Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala was instrumental in his fifteen-month long rehabilitation that has led him to becoming the deputy captain of the Indian Test team.
While the Indian Test cricket team stood at the cusp of one of the biggest transitions in history, as Shubman Gill took over the reins of the team with Pant as his deputy, the wicketkeeper-batter knew he had to step up. After scoring twin tons in the first match of the series, albeit in vain as the team went on to lose the match in the final session of Day 5 in Leeds, Pant continued his onslaught in the second game with a match-defining 65 off 58 in the second innings.
In the third Test at the ‘Home of Cricket’—The Lord’s Cricket Stadium, Pant was set up for another defining role. With the skipper having lost his wicket in the last hour of the second day, in walked Pant, an injured Rishabh Pant. He had been off the field for a half a day after sustaining a blow to his index finger. He was uncomfortable, fidgety and clearly in pain. Yet, he delivered another gritty, unorthodox innings. He started off cautiously, playing through the final hour of the second innings. On the start of the third day, he built from scratch again, growing continuously restless. There was a moment of lull when there was a 16-ball-long no-run stretch. But it wasn’t long before Pant broke the tension with a powerful boundary early in the morning.
The English were constantly targeting his body, and soon Ben Stokes struck his injured hand, physios were going in and out of the field with sprays and painkillers. However, Pant remained unfazed and responded with a confident fifty. He, naturally, did not hold back from trying his audacious shots—a mistimed reverse scoop off Chris Woakes that resulted in him tumbling over. He then attacked Shoaib Bashir with a lofted shot, another mistimed lap sweep and a shot was nearly caught at fine leg. But by the time his innings ended in a rare runout at the stroke of lunch, he had already stacked up 74 runs in 112 balls.
So, what makes Rishabh Pant very resilient? It was after this performance in the third Test that Dr. Pardiwala offered his reflections,
“CONDITIONING. Both physical and mental. His prior experience with the accident and the arduous rehabilitation following surgery have made him more immune to pain. He also learnt that ‘where there is a will, there is a way’,”
Dr. Pardiwala explains that Pant’s journey through recovery was as much about conditioning the mind as the body. This mental fortitude, combined with focus and unwavering determination is what drives Pant to overcome challenges on the field.
“When there is a deep desire to achieve, focusing on the task at hand will get you there. He is utilising all of the mental conditioning techniques we used to help him overcome his challenges with surgery and rehabilitation, with hurdles that he is going to face on the field and in life subsequently.”
While a finger injury to a wicket-keeper is one of the most excruciating injuries, when you’ve cheated death, everything else seems like another task you can bend with your will. Every other challenge pales in comparison.