Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], August 15 : Indian batter Karun Nair hailed wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant for setting a "very high standard" of what players are supposed to do, batting despite a foot injury during the fourth Test against England at Manchester.
The recently-concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between India and England concluded with a befitting 2-2 draw given the close competition and quality of cricket played in the series. One of the most stunning and courageous moments was Pant walking out to bat during the fourth Test on day two at Manchester despite injuring his foot on day one while attempting a reverse sweep. The batter took support of stadium's stair railings as he made it to the ground, adding some valuable extra runs and most importantly, a half-century in his stat sheet which helped India draw the match and keep the series draw chances alive.
Speaking to Boria Majumdar on Revsportz, Nair said, "I think Rishabh has set a very high standard of what we are supposed to be doing as players. In the fourth Test match, he went out to bat with a broken foot and scored a 50. He inspired so many of us in the dressing room and showed the kind of player and person he is by putting the team first."
Nair took some inspiration from Pant, batting with an injured finger during the final Test at The Oval, in which he scored a crucial 57 in the first innings and then 17 in the second. He ended his comeback series with 205 runs in eight matches at an average of 25.62, with just one fifty. His comeback to international cricket after eight years was underwhelming after a monster domestic cricket season as he could not convert his solid 30s and 40s into something of substance.
Speaking about batting in the fifth Test at The Oval, he said, "So, it struck me in a way that it did something to me, and thus it became really easy for me to decide what to do for the team."
Nair also said that as a number three, head coach Gautam Gambhir's message to him was not to value the runs he made individually, but focus on the partnerships he could form.
"At the end of the day, those partnerships are going to take us to a win on a tricky wicket'. So, It's not about individual scores and I was just out there looking to do my best and score as many runs as I can, and more importantly, create those partnerships playing in those difficult period," he concluded.