5 cricketers who battled on-field injuries with heroism
Sports is all about passion. While the passion in some sportsmen is evident through their spirited anger, there are others who put themselves on the edge to lead their teams to a victory. Despite debilitating injuries, they conquer their pain with their passion.
An instance of this was evident in the virtual quarter-final last night between India and Australia in the ongoing ICC World T20. Yuvraj Singh, known for his indomitable spirit, had scored 5 runs with India reeling at 54-3, when he hopped on the back foot to face a short-pitched delivery.
The Punjabi batsman, playing on his home turf, crumpled his left ankle to an extreme which barely allowed him to run between the wickets for the remainder of his innings. His will power trouncing his enfeebling ankle, the left-hander contributed 21 crucial runs to the team. And in the end, it was worth it!
Here are 5 such instances which show that in a game of cricket, passion is always victorious.
Anil Kumble (India vs West Indies – 2002)
When it came to Anil Kumble’s mettle, the opponent was always intimidated. This dates back to 2002 in Adelaide when the Indian leg spinner was hit on the face by a bouncer coming from Mervyn Dillon. While he grimaced in pain and spat blood, the runs continued to come for the next 20 minutes.
The next day, he came out with a bandaged head and jaw to bowl 14 consecutive overs and took the prized scalp of Brian Lara. However, later the medical diagnosis ascertained that his jaw was fractured. Against his will, he could not be a part of the remainder of the series and had to return home for a surgery. The test was a draw.