‘Love playing in Chennai, definitely it was emotional knock’- Rishabh Pant after his century in the Test comeback

India keeper-batter Rishabh Pant suffered multiple injuries after a major car accident in December 2022. He was out of action for almost 18 months and made his return to professional cricket during IPL 2024. There were doubts if the 26-year-old could make his Test return soon, given the nature of the injuries he suffered but the youngster showed some character and dedication and made a comeback to red-ball cricket in the first round of the Duleep Trophy.

He eventually received a call-up to the national squad for the Test series against Bangladesh after making an impression on the selectors during the match. When the hosts were under duress in the second innings of the first Test in Chennai, Pant stepped up to the plate and smashed 109 runs to help India build a commanding lead. With Shubman Gill providing excellent support with a century of his own, the Rohit Sharma-led team managed to establish a target of 515 runs.

India proceeded to win by 280 runs in the match. Following the match, Pant talked candidly about his love of Test cricket and how it was an emotional blow for him to be back in the format. He also mentioned how much he enjoyed playing in Chennai.

“Definition quite unique. I wanted to play all three formats following my recovery, and this was my first match in them. Hopefully, I performed better. First of all, I adore playing in Chennai. It was undoubtedly emotional since I wanted to win every game by scoring runs. Being on the pitch brings me more joy than anything else, so I’m returning to Test cricket where I truly belong’, Pant remarked following the match.

Rishabh Pant talks about his winning partnership with Shubman Gill

At one point in the second innings, Team India was 67/3 thanks to a strong start from the Bangladeshi spinners, which also offered the visitors some hope. But a 167-run partnership between Pant and Gill altered the course of the match for India. Regarding his partnership with Gill, Pant said he appreciated sharing the crease with someone he bonds with really well and didn’t care what outsiders thought.

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“I don’t know what other people think; I attempted to interpret the circumstances for myself. At 30-3 (67/3) you had to form a partnership, which is what I did with Gill. It’s amazing to do it with a guy with whom I have a terrific relationship,” Pant said.