"It was one of the moments of the series" - Karun Nair hails teammate for 'astonishing' move in 2025 ENG vs IND Tests

Team India batter Karun Nair picked Rishabh Pant walking out to bat injured in Manchester as the moment of the Test series against England. With India trailing 1-2 in the best-of-five series, the wicketkeeper batter got himself set on 37 in the first innings of the fourth Test at Manchester.

However, he missed a full delivery from Chris Woakes and injured his toe, forcing him to retire hurt. Overnight scans confirmed a fractured toe, ruling Pant out for the rest of the series.

Yet, the southpaw walked back out to bat the following morning and added a crucial 17 runs to the team total.

Recalling that moment in a conversation with ESPN Cricinfo a week after the series, Nair said:

"To see Rishabh walk out to bat with a broken toe - it was one of the moments of the series. It was astonishing for everyone to see. It told you what a great player he is, and more importantly, the person he is. That kind of exemplified the philosophy of the team. Of putting everything first for the team, it's not about individuals."

Nair also had high praise for first-time Test captain Shubman Gill for his leadership and batting in the series.

"The way Shubman held everyone together and the encouragement he gave was great to see. He was crystal clear with his communication from the beginning. To achieve what he did as a batter, while also leading the team...as a leader, he exemplified the spirit of Gauti bhai," he stated.

Gill finished as the series' leading run-scorer with 754 runs at an average of over 75, including a double century and three centuries. Team India managed a 2-2 draw, exceeding several pre-series predictions.

"He doesn't want us to look at it as a team in transition" - Karun Nair on Gautam Gambhir

Karun Nair said head coach Gautam Gambhir was firm in his message to the players not to look at themselves as a team in transition. The visitors were without three of their stalwarts, Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, who had recently retired from Tests.

India had also lost their previous two Test series by 0-3 and 1-3 margins to New Zealand and Australia.

"Right at the very beginning, Gauti bhai said, he doesn't want us to look at it as a team in transition. He didn't want us to feel that way. The first message we got was 'this isn't a young team, this is a gun team and everyone must feel it from within'. The messaging within the group was that everyone plays for the team and supports each other. It's one thing for the coach or the captain to say it, but to feel it was amazing," said Nair.

Nair endured a sub-par series on his return to the Indian side after eight years, averaging only 25.62 with a lone half-century in four games.