India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is all set to make his Test comeback for the first time since his horrifying car accident in 2022.
The southpaw has been picked in the squad for the first Test of the upcoming two-match series against Bangladesh, starting September 19 in Chennai.
Interestingly, Pant’s last Test appearance was against Bangladesh in December 2022, days before the car crash which turned his life upside down.
After recovering from the life-threatening injuries, Rishabh Pant made his returned to competitive action during the IPL 2024 season. He was also part of India’s T20 World Cup 2024-winning team.
Meanwhile, everyone is waiting for his Test comeback - a format where he scripted some of India’s historic victories before the forced break due to accident.
In 33 Tests so far, Pant has played several iconic knocks, including an unbeaten 89 against Australia at the Gabba in 2021.
Speaking on Tanmay Bhat's YouTube channel, the swashbuckling left-hander credited former head coach Ravi Shastri for giving him freedom during his tenure.
"It was an amazing relationship. I had a great understanding with Ravi Shastri as he gave me the freedom I wanted. I don't like it when someone tells me not to do a specific thing; instead, I prefer someone giving me a better option. I would rather switch to a better option than avoid anything," Pant said.
The 26-year-old recalled a phase when he was struggling against off-spinners and Shastri gave him a stunning advice to combat them.
"There was a time when I was getting out to off-spinners while playing shots against them. Ravi bhai was thinking about what he should tell me, then he came to me and told me that we have to find a way to tackle off-spinner. He told me that he had found a way and said, "You should play reverse-sweep against an off-spinner and this was about Test cricket," he added.
Before his Test comeback, Rishabh Pant made his much-awaited return to red-ball cricket during the Duleep Trophy 2024. Playing for India B against A, he returned with scores of 7 and 61 (47 balls), helping his team win the match by 76 runs.
