Shamik Chakrabarty
Antigua 2002: Anil Kumble asked the team physio to strap his jaw. There was some hesitation on the other side, but Kumble wouldn’t listen to him. India had an outside chance to win the Test and the team’s best bowler was never going to sit out, notwithstanding a broken jaw.
A Merv Dillon bouncer had put a serious dent in that piece of bone while batting. But the leg-spinner was a ‘Tiger’ among men. As he climbed down the stairs, a fan carrying the Tricolour accompanied him until Kumble entered the ground. The brass band played Sare Jahan Se Achha…
Kumble bowled 14 overs with a broken jaw, dismissed Brian Lara, although West Indies eventually managed to save the Test. “It was one of the bravest things I have seen on the field of play,” the legendary Vivian Richards would later say.
Manchester 2025: Rishabh Pant returned to the dressing room wearing a moon boot on Day 2 of the fourth Test against England after fracturing his metatarsal on the first day. The advice from the medical team was to put a cast, but the wicketkeeper-batsman, the team’s vice-captain, vehemently refused. In the middle of a Test match, with India under pressure, he was never going to do anything that would render him hors de combat.
Old Trafford stood up for Pant, who batted on one leg to reach his half-century. The personal milestone was incidental. A statement of bravery was made that would have a trickle-down effect. The fight shown by KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja in the second innings to eke out an unforgettable draw had a source point. Pant was courage personified.
Even Gautam Gambhir, the head coach and a master of keeping a stiff upper lip, was moved. “The foundation of this Test team will be based on what Rishabh has done for this team,” he said on the Indian team’s official Instagram page. “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.”
Nasser Hussain, the former England captain, too, tipped his hat. “He (Pant) risked a lot,” Hussain said on Sky Sports. “He has talent, but a huge heart as well.”
There’s a bigger picture – Pant’s bravery and India’s collective fight, enduring pain, busted the myth about the current Indian players’ aversion to Test cricket. This correspondent can attest how Yashasvi Jaiswal would pester Joe Root about the finer details of cricket and Test batting, when the two shared the dressing room at Rajasthan Royals. Akash Deep did the same to Josh Hazelwood during their time at Royal Challengers Bengaluru. This year, almost all the Indian players at Delhi Capitals were urging team mentor Kevin Pietersen to unlock the secrets of success in England.
Moral of the story – next time when a player fails, don’t try to ridicule him by drawing the IPL analogy.
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