England all-rounder Chris Woakes has opened up about a touching post-match exchange with Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, following a dramatic injury incident during the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series in Manchester.
Pant sustained a fractured toe while attempting a reverse sweep against Woakes, an injury that ruled him out of the series-deciding fifth Test. Despite the setback, Pant courageously batted through pain to score a crucial half-century. Woakes, too, battled adversity—dislocating his shoulder on Day 1 but returning to bat on Day 5 with his arm in a sling, earning widespread admiration.
Speaking to The Guardian, Woakes recalled seeing Pant’s Instagram post featuring a salute emoji and responded with a message: “Appreciate the love and hope the foot is OK.” Pant replied with a voice note saying, “I hope all is OK, good luck with the recovery and I hope we meet again out there some day.” Woakes added, “I obviously said sorry for the broken foot”.
The exchange underscored the mutual respect and sportsmanship between the two players, despite the fierce competition. Woakes also shared that India captain Shubman Gill praised his bravery, saying, “That was incredibly brave.” Woakes responded with equal admiration: “You’ve had an unbelievable series, well played, and credit to your team”.
The series ended in a 2–2 draw, with both teams earning plaudits for their resilience and spirit.
