New Zealand’s Neil Wagner is one tough Cricketer

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Matthew Wade Neil Wagner Australia New Zealand PA

Neil Wagner is proving that he is one of the toughest men on the planet. Wagner has been carrying the pain of a fractured toe, which he sustained while batting during the first innings of the first Test against Pakistan. Wagner persevered through the pain and bowled 21 overs in Pakistan’s first innings. 

According to recent reports, Wagner said that the only way he was coming off the field was with a stretcher. On the second morning, Wagner was struck on his right foot but was cleared to play if he could tolerate the pain. The pride that Wagner is showing is quite impressive. 

A Lot of Pride

The report claimed that Wagner “takes a lot of pride” in what he does. However, what stood out was his comments about the team. Wagner didn’t want to sit on the sidelines and watch his teammates compete and not help.

After the toe injury, Wagner continued to bat, received treatment from a physio, and helped stretch New Zealand‘s first-innings total to 431. Wagner then recorded 21 overs, which included three on the second day. All in all, the team is showing they take a lot of pride in what they do, and that starts with Wagner. 

Playing through the Pain

Wagner claimed that pain is connected to bowling. On the third day, the match was stopped due to several rain interferences. Thanks to a pain-killing injection, Wagner was able to power through.

In the end, Wagner pushed through all the pain through pure mental toughness. According to the report, Wagner said he didn’t track the number of overs he had bowled to help him focus more on the task instead of the pain. The report said that it was the toughest match that Wagner had played since 2016. 

Black Caps

New Zealand led by 192 in the fourth inning as Pakistan never went away. However, Wagner’s teammates help grind out a victory as a collective unit. The second and final Test of the series starts on January 3rd. Wagner is hopeful that he will not miss the series. 

Toe Recovery Time

With just under a week left until the Test, the best mode of handling the injury is to stay off his feet. Walking on a fractured toe can lead to more damage.

However, the toe is fractured, you can still play at a high level as long as you take the necessary precautions. For starters, you can splint the injured area. Post-workout, taking anti-inflammatories, or using recovery gels is a good idea. For these professional athletes, their doctors will do the best they can to get them back onto the field.

Luckily for New Zealand, the injury could have been worse, so there’s a high chance that Wagner will get to play once the series takes back up in January. 

 

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