Down but not out: 5 players who came out to bat in spite of injury
India lost their second ODI against Bangladesh by a narrow margin of 5 runs, despite Rohit Sharma's heroics late in the second innings. When it looked as if India were set to lose by a sizeable margin, 'The Hitman' came out to bat at No. 9 with an injured thumb, scoring a swashbuckling half-century (51* off 28 balls) to bring India close to an unlikely win.
In the second over of the first innings, Bangladesh opener Anamul Haque edged a Mohammed Siraj delivery towards Rohit Sharma who attempted to take the catch, splitting the webbing between his thumb and index finger in the process. The skipper immediately left the field to get his injury assessed. Miraculously, Sharma returned to the field nursing a dislocated thumb, opting to bat late in the innings in an attempt to save India from a loss.
In the post-match press conference, the captain stated that while there was no fracture, there was some dislocation and stitches had to be administered on his bloodied left thumb. Sharma's grit and courage were widely appreciated by the cricketing world, including by Indian Head Coach Rahul Dravid. Rohit Sharma, who had a poor T20 World Cup, returned to his true self in a stunning display of bravery as he smashed 3 boundaries and 5 sixes in his whirlwind knock.
Rohit Sharma's courageous move wasn't the only time batsmen have come onto the pitch with an injury. Here are 5 other players who have done the same in the past:
#1 Graeme Smith
Under Graeme Smith's leadership, South Africa had already created history, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead against Australia in the three-match Test series 'Down Under' in 2008-09. South Africa were batting to save the third test match on a tricky fifth day pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Smith, who eventually won the Player of the Series, was suffering from a broken hand and an injured elbow, after being hit by Mitchell Johnson in the first innings of the match. After South Africa lost their 9th wicket, it seemed that Australia had won the match. However, with 8.2 overs remaining, Graeme Smith was seen walking out to bat, rousing a deserved applause from the Australian crowd. Smith was so badly in pain that he needed help from his teammates even to pad up. The captain almost ensured his team a draw before he fell to Johnson, merely 10 balls away from what would have been a truly historic escape.
#2 Steve Smith
In the 2018-19 Ashes Test series, Steve Smith was making his return to international cricket after a year-long ban following his ball-tampering scandal. He had a fantastic return to the national side as he scored hundreds in both innings to power Australia to a 251-run win over England in the first test. Wary of his threat, England called up their latest find, pacer Jofra Archer for his maiden test match. Archer vs. Smith promised to be a highly-competitive contest and it truly lived up to its billing. Archer struck Smith twice, once on his left elbow and the second time on his neck, just below his left ear. Smith was batting on 80 when the ball struck his neck in an area similar to where Phillip Hughes was hit before his tragic demise, sending chills down the Australian dressing room. Steve Smith was adamant to keep going but was forced to retire hurt on the advice of the team physio who wanted to check for any signs of concussion. In a display of remarkable bravery, Smith came back out to bat at No. 9, after the dismissal of Peter Siddle. He eventually fell at 92, but his act of courage went a long way in earning back the respect and affection of cricket fans worldwide.
#3 Malcolm Marshall
During the third test of West Indies' historic 1984 tour of England at Headingley, the late Malcolm Marshall suffered a double fracture on his left thumb while trying to stop a ball during fielding. In normal circumstances, a player would have been ruled out of the match but in a display of remarkable bravery, Marshall later came out to bat, using only his right hand. Although he fell for 4 runs, his courageous act allowed Larry Gomes to complete his century. Malcolm Marshall was not done yet, destroying the English batting line-up in the second innings with a lethal spell in which he picked up 7 wickets for a meager 53 runs in 26 overs.
#4 Gursharan Singh
A little-known cricketer, Gursharan Singh played only one Test and one ODI for India. However, his name has been attached to one of the greatest players of the game in cricketing folklore, Sachin Tendulkar. After scoring 39 runs in the first innings of an Irani Trophy match, Tendulkar fell to India's ace left-arm spinner at the time, Maninder Singh, leaving him highly unsatisfied with his own performance. The 16-year-old Tendulkar's disappointment did not last long, the 'Little Master' scoring his first Irani Trophy century, on his debut, in the presence of his father and brother. However, this achievement would not have been possible without the heroics of Gursharan Singh, who had fractured his finger off the bowling of Delhi pacer Atul Wassan, forced to leave the field earlier in the innings. When the 9th wicket fell, Tendulkar was left stranded at 86 and started walking back to the dressing room. To everyone's surprise, Singh came out to bat one-handed to ensure that the 16-year old Tendulkar got his hundred. It was later revealed to Tendulkar that Singh had come out to bat on the request of Raj Singh Dungarpur, who was the chairman of the national selection committee at the time. A grateful Sachin Tendulkar would go on to play for Singh's benefit match in April 2005.
#5 Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh's story is one of the greatest stories of courage and grit in the history of Indian sports. While not necessarily qualifying as an injury, the Indian legend battled something much worse to ensure that India won the World Cup after 28 years in 2011. The story started before the World Cup in January 2011, during India's tour of South Africa where Singh started vomiting blood for the first time. As time progressed, his fatigue and pain increased as the 2011 World Cup started. In India's final group match against West Indies, Yuvraj Singh was seen vomiting blood on the field as he scored a century in the scorching heat of Chennai in the month of March. With the ball, Yuvraj Singh picked up two wickets for 18 runs in his four-over spell. Singh won the Player of the Match in Chennai and went on to win the Player of the Series Award for his stunning all-round performances throughout the tournament. Seven months after the World Cup, it was reported that Yuvraj Singh was suffering from seminoma lung cancer. Seldom is such a life-threatening bravado displayed on the sports field!
This completes our list of heroics by injured cricketers on the field. There are several other such instances of bravery displayed in the world of sports. Do let us know your favorite such moments in the comments section below!