On Thursday (July 24), India's Rishabh Pant braved a serious foot injury to come out and bat on day two of the Old Trafford Test. Here are seven other players who fought through the pain for their side.
Graeme Smith
At the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2009, South Africa's skipper suffered a broken left hand after he was struck by a Mitchell Johnson delivery while batting in the game's second innings. He retired out on 30, and took no further part in the game – until the fourth innings.
Chasing 376, the Proteas were reduced to 257-9 in the evening session on day five. Australia celebrated initially, thinking they had won since Smith hadn't batted. But after Dale Steyn was dismissed, Smith strode out of the dressing room and into the middle, in a last-ditch effort to draw the match.
He survived 16 balls, but with only 11 left in the day to secure a gutsy draw, it was Johnson who got one to nip back in and knock back off stump, sealing a 103-run win for Australia.
Malcolm Marshall
Marshall is well-known for being one of the most fearsome quicks of all time. But during the West Indies' 1984 tour of England, he showed he could take pain just as well as he dished it out.
At Headingley, he broke his left thumb in two places while fielding in the gully. When the visitors replied to England's first innings score of 270, they were 290-9, with Larry Gomes batting on 96 and apparently destined to miss out on three figures. But Marshall came out at No.11 and batted with his bottom hand, helping put on 12 runs as Gomes got his century.
In the next innings, he ripped through England with 7-53. West Indies went on to take a 3-0 lead an eventually win the series 5-0; the now-famous 'Blackwash'.
Ashton Agar
In a Sheffield Shield game last November, left-arm spinner Agar injured his left shoulder in the field, bowling only four out of the 112 overs that Western Australia sent down against Victoria.
WA were 310-9, leading by 104 in the game's third innings. Agar came out to the middle, his left hand stuck firmly by his side – he was unable to extend it due to the shoulder damage. He made a five-ball duck, before Victoria came out and chased the 120 they needed for victory with some ease.
Nathan Lyon
Lord's, 2023 Ashes. This time, it's not about Alex Carey.
Australia offie Nathan Lyon injured himself rather innoccuously, running to catch a high ball in the field which resulted in a tear of his right calf. The following day, he arrived at the ground on crutches, and his participation in the series was in doubt, let alone that match.
However, he hobbled down the Lord's steps to bat, at 264-9 – receiving a standing ovation from the entire ground as he emerged. Lyon made four off 13 in a 15-run partnership, Australia eventually won by 43 runs and the Ashes ended drawn two matches later.
Hanuma Vihari
No, not Vihari at the SCG. A hamstring injury on the final day of that Test in 2021 saw him and R Ashwin bat out a draw, but Vihari was at it again in the Ranji Trophy two years later.
Batting in the first innings for Andhra Pradesh against Madhya Pradesh, Vihari was hit by an Avesh Khan bouncer which fractured his left forearm, causing him to retire hurt on 16 off 37 balls. But after his side slipped from 323-2 to 353-9, he returned to the batting crease.
Vihari came out to bat left-handed, ensuring his right side was facing the bowler, instead of his now-taped up left arm. Batting single-handed, he managed to survive 20 balls and add another 11 runs to his score, including two boundaries; taking his side to 379. Andhra Pradesh eventually lost the match, though. Vihari batted at No.11 in their second innings, scoring 15 off 16.
Saleem Malik
Another one-hander. At Faisalabad in 1986, Malik helped captain Imran Khan add 53 for the sixth wicket after Pakistan were 37-5. But he was forced to retire hurt for 21, when his left arm was broken after a snorter.
Pakistan conceded an 89-run first innings lead, and in their second dig were 296-9 as Malik came to the crease to help add a few more. Initially batting left-handed to hold the bat in his top hand, Malik soon switched to batting right-handed, holding it in his bottom hand instead.
He managed to survive 14 balls and was unbeaten, contributing three to a last-wicket stand of 32. Set 240 to win, West Indies collapsed to 53 all out in their run-chase as Abdul Qadir took 6-16, and Imran Khan 4-30.
Gordon Greenidge
Lord's, 1984. Once again, that famous 'Blackwash' series. Windies opener Gordon Greenidge had started the tour in scratchy form, with scores of 19 and one at Birmingham, and in the first innings at Lord's.
Battling not just an injured leg, but also the weight of widespread racism, Greenidge set the stage alight as the West Indies aimed to complete an audacious chase of 342 on the final day. “My anger came up in the way I played. I felt that to forcefully go at what I was doing, to attack, perhaps was a way of letting out that anger. It wouldn’t be right to do that on another human being, although it felt like it at times, but I’m sure gonna take it out on five and a half ounces, so I took it out on the ball,” he said.
Greenidge flayed an unbeaten 214 as his side got over the line with nine wickets in hand, in one of the most astonishing chases of all time.
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