Fans recalled India batsman Hanuma Vihari’s heroic efforts in the epic Sydney draw in 2021 after the Andhra batsman batted left-handed while suffering pain from a broken wrist during the ongoing Ranji Trophy quarter-final match against Madhya Pradesh in Indore.
On Day 2 of this knockout quarter-final game, Hanuma Vihari returned to bat in the middle of an intense game with an injured left wrist, which had been injured when he tried to fend off a short delivery from fast bowler Avesh Khan.
Not only that he came out to bat, but he had decided to bat left-handed in order to avoid the left-arm from the MP fast bowlers.
Hanuma Vihari shows his grittiness once again with a heroic act
On Day 1 of the match, Vihari was on 16 runs off 37 balls when a bumper from Avesh struck him on his left-hand’s wrist. Vihari went off the stadium to get scans, where the X-rays revealed a fracture! He was even told that he will out of action for at least a month.
However, the 29-year-old batsman decided his time off won’t start from today at least where his side needed him and he had the courage, determination, and grit to bat with a broken wrist.
Andhra collapsed from 328/4 to 353/9, and thus, Vihari decided that he needed to bat to add whatever little runs possible to the team total.
With his left hand fully taped, he tapped deliveries back almost entirely using one hand, his right. By lunch, Vihari had put on 26 runs with No. 9 Lalith Mohan, as Andhra reached to 379 for 9. before bowler Saransh Jain trapped Vihari lbw for 27. Vihari even managed to play out an entire over from Avesh Khan with only one hand, and also hit two boundaries.
Hanuma Vihari isn’t part of India’s Test squad for the upcoming home series against Australia. He hasn’t had a great domestic season: 475 runs so far in 13 innings at an average of 39.58 with two half-centuries.
But this splendid act of defiance, stoic, and putting your team over anything, including your body and pain, got Hanuma Vihari great plaudits from everyone.
