With emotional Chennai hundred, Rishabh Pant seamlessly resumes love affair with Tests

India vs Bangladesh, Chennai Test: India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant marked his Test comeback with an emotional hundred on a hot afternoon in Chennai, rekindling his love affair with the format.

In Short

• Rishabh Pant marked his comeback with an emotional hundred in Chennai Test
• Pant stood with closed eyes, bat lifted, offering a silent prayer after his hundred
• With this hundred, Pant has seamlessly resumed his love affair with red-ball cricket

December 30, 2022, Rishabh Pant was involved in a horrific car crash. It was nothing short of a miracle that he survived. Pulled from the wreckage, his survival was uncertain in those early hours. The injuries to his ankle, knee, and back were severe, leaving his future in doubt. Would he walk again? Would he ever return to the sport that defined him?

As he lay in his hospital bed and began his slow, gruelling recovery, the answers to those questions remained unknown. His rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore became a journey with no clear end in sight. Cricket, once a constant in his life, seemed like a distant dream. At that point, even the most hopeful fan couldn’t predict if Pant would ever return to the field.

But Pant is no ordinary cricketer. He’s built on resilience, grit, and an unshakeable belief in himself. Day 450 since the accident: Pant made his first runs. Day 457: He scored his first fifty. Day 523: He returned to the Indian team. Day 538: He became a world champion. And on Day 634: Pant equalled MS Dhoni’s record for the most Test hundreds by an Indian wicketkeeper-batsman.

IND vs BAN, 1st Test, Day 3: Highlights | Full Scorecard

India managed Pant’s comeback with care, allowing him to heal both physically and mentally. While his return didn’t immediately bring big innings, there were signs that the Rishabh Pant we all knew—the agile, fearless, and entertaining cricketer—was slowly coming back to form. And on a hot afternoon in Chennai, Pant completed an emotional re-initiation into Test cricket with a sensational hundred. Pant’s struggles following his devastating car crash in December 2022 have been well-documented and his reaction after reaching his sixth Test hundred, with a two off Shakib Al-Hasan, highlighted just how much the milestone meant to him. It marked his first international century since his ton against England in an ODI on July 17, 2022—an impressive 797-day gap. His last Test century came earlier that same year, on July 1, 2022, against England in Birmingham.

Pant’s recovery wasn’t just physical; it was a mental battle. His positive mindset, along with the nation’s support, helped him through the toughest phase of his life. Now, on the other side, he values life’s small joys more. Yet on the field, he remains the same unpredictable, bold, and thrilling Rishabh Pant.

EMOTIONAL CHENNAI HUNDRED

Pant walked into bat during the 20th over of India's second innings after Virat Kohli's dismissal for just 17. With captain Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal failing with the bat, India's commanding 227-run lead suddenly looked vulnerable. Pant, often known for his aggressive stroke play, entered a situation demanding maturity and composure.

As play resumed on Day 3, Pant chose a more cautious approach. His focus was on stabilizing India's innings rather than his signature counter-attacking style. In the first hour, he exhibited unusual restraint, prioritising solid technique over flair. With Bangladesh pushing for quick wickets, Pant patiently waited for loose deliveries and made them count.

His half-century, a vital one, came off 88 balls, much slower than his usual pace, but it underscored the maturity he brought to the crease. By curbing his natural instinct to attack, Pant allowed India to regain control. He particularly targeted Shakib Al Hasan's left-arm spin, hitting four sixes, bringing his career tally to 59 maximums in just 34 India's seventh-highest.

Mindful of his soft dismissal in the first innings, Pant was determined not to give his wicket away cheaply. After a careful build-up, he began to accelerate, most notably with a brilliant ramp-sweep for six off Hasan Mahmud. His partner, Shubman Gill, also upped the tempo, suggesting a declaration might be in the offing. Just before lunch, Pant survived a dropped catch by Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto but responded by hammering two more boundaries, bringing up an aggressive end to the session.

Post-lunch, Pant switched gears effortlessly, bringing out his trademark flick behind square to punish both pace and spin, reaching his sixth Test hundred.

After his sensational hundred, Pant stood near the middle of the crease, eyes closed, head tilted upwards, and bat raised, the moment felt like a silent prayer—a quiet tribute to the sport that had returned to him, to life itself, perhaps. His partner, Shubman Gill, stood respectfully at a distance, not wanting to intrude on what was clearly an intensely private moment. It was a scene of quiet reverence, a gesture of gratitude after months of uncertainty and absence.

Moments later, the two young cricketers embraced warmly as the Chepauk crowd roared in unison. The embrace was more than a celebration of another milestone; it was an acknowledgement of Pant’s journey back to the sport he loves, a tribute to resilience and determination. This hundred, however, carried a deeper significance. It wasn’t just another century—it marked Pant’s equaling of Chennai’s very own ‘Thala,’ MS Dhoni, for the most Test hundreds by an Indian wicketkeeper-batsman.

TEST CRICKET's PRODIGAL SON IS BACK

Ahead of Rishabh Pant's Test comeback, former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly dubbed him an “all-time great” in the making. “I’m not surprised he’s back, and he will continue to play for India in Tests,” Ganguly remarked. “If he keeps performing like this, Pant will be one of the greats.”

Why does Ganguly hold Pant in such high regard? There are two key reasons. First, Pant’s phenomenal record on overseas tours has set him apart. In Australia, his unbeaten 159 off 189 balls helped India secure a draw at Sydney in 2019. But the true testament to his audacity and bravery came at the Gabba in 2021. His unbeaten 89 not only chased down 328 runs in the fourth innings but ended Australia’s 32-year unbeaten streak at the venue—a knock that cemented his place in cricket folklore.

Secondly, Pant remains an unpredictable and thrilling force in Test cricket. He can grind out a slow fifty, as he did at The Oval in 2021, where he anchored India’s lower order with a gritty knock off 105 balls. That patience, however, comes in flashes. More often, Pant dazzles with fearless stroke play. His heroics against South Africa in 2022, where he struck an unbeaten 100 after India were reduced to 58 for 4, underscore his knack for thriving under pressure.

Pant’s red-ball genius isn’t just about the numbers—though they are impressive. It’s the spirit with which he approaches the game. While players like Virat Kohli champion the format in press conferences, Pant champions it through action. He audaciously reverse scoops James Anderson, chirps constantly behind the stumps, and breaks conventions. His unconventional style has breathed new life into the longest format of the game.

Now, after nearly 20 months away following a road accident in December 2022, Pant marked his comeback with an emotional hundred in Chennai on September 21. Pant's return couldn’t come at a better time, with India eyeing another Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory. Pant’s presence brings an element of unpredictability, an aura that keeps opposition teams on edge. In red-ball cricket, where pacing an innings and patience often dominate, Pant breaks the mold. He knows when to grind it out, but more often than not, he’s the player who will surprise everyone with a bold shot or a game-changing play.

Pant’s adaptability and fearlessness make him India’s X-factor in Test cricket. And with this hundred, Pant has seamlessly resumed his love affair with red-ball cricket.

Welcome back, Rishabh Pant. Test cricket missed you!