Despite having a fractured foot, Rishabh Pant came out to bat for India on Day 2 of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford in Manchester.

The wicketkeeper-batter suffered the injury during the first day’s play when he tried to reverse Chris Woakes and was hit right on the boot.

Pant was grimacing in pain and had to be carried off the field on a golf cart. The Indian vice-captain was batting on 37 when he got injured.

On Thursday, Pant limped his way to the middle and was greeted by a standing ovation from the Manchester crowd. The southpaw fought through the pain to score a gritty 54, helping the visitors reach 358 before being dismissed.

After the day’s play, India all-rounder Shardul Thakur revealed that the team management always planned to make Rishabh Pant available for batting.

“It was always our plan. There were quite a few efforts from the medical team. So, yes, kudos to them that they could get Rishabh back onto the field,” Shardul said in the post-day presser.

“He, of course, scored vital runs for the team. He was in a lot of pain. We have seen him doing a lot of amazing things, and this was just another amazing thing that he did for the team today,” he added.

Rishabh Pant's unfortunate injury also ignited the substitute debate in Test cricket. Shardul, however, opined that if such a rule is introduced, it should be done from the next WTC cycle.

“There have been talks about it, but even if something like that happens, it should not happen in the middle of a WTC cycle. Ideally, it should happen from the next cycle,” Shardul said.

While Shardul Thakur acknowledged Rishabh Pant’s pain-bearing capacity, the all-rounder left it to the wicketkeeper-batter and the team management to decide whether he would come out to bat in the second essay.

“Everyone was very excited to see how he would approach his innings. His passion for the team is unmatched, and we have seen a lot of instances in the past where players have batted with fractures.

“There was a time when Graeme Smith was batting in the South African team with a fractured hand, so in these moments, the grit of the player comes into play,” Shardul said.

“Rishabh’s positivity and his grit keep him away from all the pains. His pain-bearing capacity is very high. If he is in pain, then it must be a serious injury…"