NEW DELHI: India’s wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, sidelined with a fractured foot, shared a light-hearted message for England all-rounder Chris Woakes, who announced his international retirement on September 29. Pant’s post, blending humour and heartfelt wishes, paid tribute to the man who had inadvertently caused his injury during the fifth Test in Manchester.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Happy Retirement Woakesy. You have been amazing on the field. Lots of discipline, a big smile and always good vibes. Now you can finally give that bowling arm a rest and my foot too. You definitely left a mark on me before retirement. Wishing you a fantastic journey ahead in whatever you choose,” Pant wrote on social media.Pant suffered a fractured foot while attempting a reverse sweep against Woakes, yet he returned to the crease to add crucial runs for India. Woakes, meanwhile, injured his shoulder while saving a boundary and later walked out to bat one-handed, highlighting his commitment in England’s narrow six-run loss that sealed India a 2-2 series draw.
Revealing their private exchange, Woakes had earlier told The Guardian: “I saw Rishabh Pant put an image of me on Instagram with a salute emoji, so I replied thanking him: ‘Appreciate the love and hope the foot is OK.’ He then sent me a voice note saying: ‘I hope all is OK, good luck with the recovery and I hope we meet again out there some day.’ I obviously said sorry for the broken foot.”Pant, who was ruled out of the T20 Asia Cup 2025, will also miss the upcoming two-Test series against West Indies and is replaced by Dhruv Jurel in the Team India squad, with Narayan Jagadeesan remaining as backup wicketkeeper.
Poll
How do you feel about Rishabh Pant’s humorous message to Chris Woakes on his retirement?
Woakes, 36, concluded a distinguished England career spanning 15 years, featuring in 62 Tests, 122 ODIs, and 33 T20Is. He claimed 192 Test wickets, scored over 2,000 runs, and played a key role in England’s 2019 World Cup triumph. Reflecting on his career, Woakes wrote on Instagram, “Representing England, wearing the Three Lions and sharing the field with teammates… are things I’ll look back on with the greatest pride.”The Warwickshire pacer will continue in county and franchise cricket, while England gear up for the Ashes against Australia starting November 21 in Perth.
About the Author
