Rishabh Pant got a standing ovation when he walked out to bat on Day 2 of the fourth Test against England in Manchester. Pant was retired hurt on Day 1 after his premeditated sweep off Chris Woakes backfired, and the ball smashed his toe, leaving him in searing pain. India's worst nightmare came true, and scans confirmed a toe fracture, ruling out Pant for the remainder of the series.

Not many expected Pant to show up after the devastating news, but much to the surprise, he walked out to bat, limping, but determined to bail the team out of trouble. Pant scored his third fifty of the series after smashing Jofra Archer for a colossal six. Archer, however, took his revenge soon after, removing Pant for 54 in 75 balls.

Shardul Thakur, who also played a handy knock of 41, acknowledged Pant's efforts to bat despite being in pain.

"I think it was always our plan (to try and bring Pant to the middle). There were quite a few efforts from the medical team. So, yes, kudos to them," said Shardul, referring to Pant's fifty that helped India post 358 in their first innings.

"They could get Rishabh back onto the field. He could bat there for a while. And whatever he did, it's of course vital runs for the team he scored.

"And yes, he was in a lot of pain. And we have seen him doing a lot of amazing things. And this was just another amazing thing that he did for the team today," added Shardul.

Shardul revealed that the team was excited to see how Pant would approach the innings, and compared his grit to Graeme Smith, who came out to bat for South Africa to save a Test against Australia with a broken wrist.

"Everyone was very excited to see how he would approach for his innings. And I think what he showed today, the passion he showed for the team is unmatched. We have seen a lot of instances in the past when they have batted with fractures.

"I think there was a time when Graeme Smith was batting in the South African team. His hand was fractured. So, in these moments, the grit of the player comes into play.

"And I think Rishabh's positivity and his grit keeps him away from all the pains and whatever pain he has. His pain-bearing capacity is very high. If he is in pain, it is a big injury," said Thakur.

India were bowled out for 358 in the first innings. It looked a decent total given the overcast conditions, but England quickly took the driver's seat after Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett added 166 runs for the first wicket. Duckett and Crawley were out for 94 and 84 respectively, but England ended the day on top with 225 on the board at the loss of two wickets.