At the start of 2023, we, including Rishabh Pant, wondered if he would be on a cricket field again, leave alone be the same flamboyant Pant the world fell in love with. A road accident on the way to surprising his mother in Uttarakhand left his car in flames; most would take coming out alive of it as a blessing let alone compete in elite sport again. Less than two years later, he has beaten every recovery timeline given to him, and even though he missed the home ODI World Cup, he is a T20I world champion, and more importantly now back as a Test jack in the box.
On his comeback Test, Pant equalled MS Dhoni on most centuries as an India wicketkeeper, and then confirmed what observers have long believed: even though he entered our consciousness as a T20 player, Test cricket is where he is most at home.
"Definitely, it was emotional because coming back I wanted to score in each and every match, which I couldn't do [in the first innings, where he was part of a recovery but made a mental error]," Pant told the broadcasters after India's 280-run win against Bangladesh in Chennai. "But coming back to Test cricket, where I belong most is great. I enjoyed batting out there and just got a little bit emotional. But at end of the day, just being on the field gives me more pleasure than doing anything else."
Pant equalled Dhoni in terms of centuries at Dhoni's quasi home ground. Pant said he, too, loves the vibes there. "A lot special because I love playing in Chennai, first of all," Pant said. "And secondly, after injury, I think I wanted to play all three formats and this was my first Test match after coming back. Just loving it every day."
Pant might not have made a big score in the first innings (39), but he walked in ahead of KL Rahul at 34 for 3 and added 62 with his friend Shubman Gill. "I try to read the situation in my own way," Pant said. "And when you're 30 for 3, I think you need to switch a partnership. And that's what exactly me and Gill did out there. Especially, I feel like when you are chatting with someone who you have a great relationship outside the field, it really helps."
Captain Rohit Sharma was full of praise for Pant's comeback. "He has been through some really tough times, and the way he has managed himself through those tough times was superb to watch," Rohit said. "He came back in the IPL then followed by the World Cup, a very successful World Cup, and then obviously this is the format he loves the most.
"For us it was never about what is he going to do with the bat. We always knew what he had with the bat and with the gloves as well. It was just about getting him back in the game and giving him that game time. Credit to him as well. He went on to play the Duleep Trophy and got ready for this Test match and had an impact straightaway in the game."