Watch: Rishabh Pant endures brutal body blows after Gautam Gambhir's warning alters his approach

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is proving why he is a true warrior, putting his body on the line for his team in the ongoing New Year’s Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney.

On Day 1 of the ongoing fifty and final Test, Rishabh Pant took multiple blows to the body, and even he needed physio help, but still the Indian wicketkeeper stood tall, facing the fearsome bouncers from the Australian bowlers at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney.

From Mitchell Starc to Scott Boland, Australia’s pace attack is testing the left-handed batter, with the Indian cricket team already in deep trouble, losing four wickets for just 72 runs in the ongoing New Year’s Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 at the iconic SCG.

Rishabh Pant battles through pain as India struggles in the New Year's Test

After the quick dismissals of Virat Kohli (17), Shubman Gill (20), Yashasvi Jaiswal (10), and KL Rahul (4), the responsibility once again fell on Rishabh Pant’s shoulders to stabilize the Indian cricket team’s innings in the ongoing New Year’s Test against Australia.

Read Also: 'Virat Kohli should’ve been dropped instead of Rohit Sharma’: India great blasted after Sydney Test failure

However, it hasn’t been an easy task for the Indian wicketkeeper-batter, as he faced relentless pace and bounce from Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc on Day 1 at the SCG. Pant endured multiple body blows, with the bowlers testing him with fiery deliveries.

After enduring some nasty blows on his hand and approximately over half a dozen blows on his body, the tension peaked when Micthell Starc unleashed a sharp bouncer that left Rishabh Pant no time to react. The ball struck the side of his helmet grill, leaving the Indian star visibly shaken.

Rishabh Pant takes body blows but keeps India fighting at the SCG

In a gesture of sportsmanship, Starc immediately approached Pant to check on him and apologize. The physios were called onto the field to assess Pant. Additionally, the Indian cricketer took a painful blow to his batting hand during Day 1 of the 5th Test between India and Australia at the SCG.

The incident happened on the third ball of the 35th over when Mitchell Starc delivered a sharp ball on off stump. As Pant tried to defend, the ball rose unexpectedly and struck him near the biceps.

Pant was visibly in pain, and the physio rushed onto the field to provide immediate treatment with an ice pack on the field. His hand quickly turned black with blood clotting in the affected area where the ball had hit.

Read Also: Watch: Rishabh Pant collapses in agony as Pat Cummins’ brutal delivery hits him on the box

Watch how Rishabh Pant copes with fiery bouncers at SCG here:

Rishabh Pant took a number of heavy hits to the body.#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/TdyJ1qhm9C

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 3, 2025

After a humiliating defeat in the Boxing Day Test, the Indian cricket team aimed to bounce back in the Sydney Test to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but things are not going their way against Australia.

Well, yet again in the ongoing Test series, it was a contest between disciplined bowling and hesitant batting. Pant stood out with his unique approach. Instead of playing his usual aggressive shots, the wicketkeeper stayed focused and controlled his natural instincts to stabilize India’s innings.

Currently, India’s score reads 107/4 after 50 overs at the tea break, and now Pant (32*) and Ravindra Jadeja (11*) will have to shift their gears to give pace to India’s innings in the ongoing fifth and final Test against Australia in Sydney.