Bengaluru: When the Indian selectors announced the squad for the opening game against Bangladesh, the buzz was mostly about Rishabh Pant who was returning to the Test fold after suffering a horrific car crash in December 2022.
Yes, the 26-year-old wicketkeeper took the cricketing world by surprise when he turned up for Delhi Capitals in this season’s Indian Premier League about 15 months since the life-threatening incident that even had the medical fraternity befuddled considering the multiple surgeries he had to undergo to just even start walking again.
Yes, he then went on to enjoy a triumphant T20 World Cup campaign for India in the Americas where he scored 171 runs in 8 games — the pitches there were largely panned for their slow nature that made run making difficult — and was effective behind the stumps too.
A born match-winner and fighter who never gets unfazed, be it the battles on the ground or off it, there were however questions on how the Uttarakhand-born Delhi resident would cope with the rigours of first-class cricket although he warmed up with a Duleep Trophy game. While limited-overs cricket poses it’s unique set of challenges, Test is the ultimate deal.
It requires immense amount of concentration, focus, dedication and discipline to succeed in just one game, let alone a series or making a career out of it. The heat, sweat and grind takes an immense toll, not just on the body but on the mind too.
Pant was presented that in Chennai and to the joy of everybody he aced it with flying colours that augurs well for India as they stare at a hectic calendar where, after hosting Bangladesh in the second Test in Kanpur they play New Zealand in three Tests at home before flying out to Australia for a gruelling five-Test match series. More importantly, all of them are part of this World Test Championship cycle which India, twice runners-up, lead with 71.67 percentage points followed by Australia (62.50).
Firstly wicketkeeping, Pant’s primary job. Standing behind the stumps to the likes of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja is no easy task and although he did miss a stumping of Shakib Al Hasan on the fourth day, he was largely good, pulling off some nice takes by reading the lines and lengths well.
The second day was particularly brutal as the mercury touched almost 37 degree celsius but Pant looked at ease, even pulling off some goalkeeper-like diving stops. Keeping against spinners was once considered his weakness but on a red-soil pitch that offered generous bounce till the last ball, Pant showed his coming of age against the slower bowlers too that gives him a completeness now.
Then the exhilarating batting that Pant has become famous for. He warmed up with a 52-ball 39 in the first innings before blazing away to a 128-ball 109 in the second. The sixth Test century had maturity and his typical blustery written all over it.
Initially when he walked in the second innings, he was extremely watchful in the company of Shubman Gill. He gave a good amount of respect for the bowlers and conditions before switching gears and turning himself into the fast car post the half-century. Stepping down the ground constantly to the spinners for the lofted shots, sweeps — both conventional and reverse — the drives, bullets just flew from his willow and Bangladesh searched for places at Chepauk to take cover.
Then there was his trademark banter too from behind the stumps. In fact, he even had everyone in splits when, while batting in the second innings, he set field for Bangladesh by telling their skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto they would be better off by placing a man at midwicket!
“After injury I wanted to play all three formats and this was my first (Test) match after coming back,” Pant told the official broadcaster after the match. “It was emotional, I wanted to score each and every match which didn't I couldn't do, but coming back to Test cricket, which is where I belong the most. I just enjoyed batting and got a little bit emotional. But at the end of the day, being in the field gives me more pleasure than anything else.”
Pant being on the field and excelling in every department is a pleasure not just for him but a massive delight for the fans, team and the neutrals. India’s biggest assignment this season is defending the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In their last two trips to Australia where they won, Pant was one of the biggest performers, scoring 350 runs in 2018-19 and 274 in 2020-21.
Pant is a born match-winner and his 'rebirth' has amplified that trait several folds more now.