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Cricket News: One of the heartwarming takeaways from India’s resounding victory in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai was Rishabh Pant’s hundred on his return to the Indian Test side.
Coming nearly two years out from the format, Pant seemed to be back on song as he scored 109 in India’s second innings, looking pretty much like himself.
Praising Pant’s mentality and the ability to bounce back from the near-fatal accident, all quarters have poured out adoration. Commenting on India’s performance, Pakistan legend Wasim Akram also tipped his hat to the dashing keeper-batter.
“Look at Pant’s performance, the miracle that he has performed by showing he is superhuman by returning from his tragedy,” said Akram. “The way his accident happened, we were all worried in Pakistan, I was worried and tweeted about him,” revealed Akram, indicating the concern felt in cricket circles across the world upon Pant’s accident.
While Pant was away, he missed quite a few series, including the tours of Australia in 2023 and England in 2024 and also missed the WTC final for 2023. Akram believes that it could be revolutionary and very bold from the batting point of view as Pant continues on that path.
“The way he used to play in Test cricket, the way he performed in Australia with the century then,” said the Pakistan legend. “The way he batted against England, playing a reverse-sweep against [James] Anderson in Test cricket, even [Pat] Cummins. He’s special.”
‘He’s a miracle kid…”.
In particular, Akram said he was impressed by how brave and mentally robust Pant had been to manage to return to top-level sport to make such a statement after coming back. “Especially what he has been through in that horrific accident, coming back from that, how mentally strong must that boy be.”
“That is a story to be told for generations and generations, in my opinion, to motivate young people of the world. You can come back the way Pant did,” said Akram, piling on the compliments on Pant.
“He came back and averaged 40 in the IPL, 446 runs at a strike rate of 155, he’s a miracle kid,” concluded the Pakistan pacer, not mincing words in his lofty opinion of the Indian wicketkeeper, who came back to the IPL as captain of the Delhi Capitals as if he had never left.
Overall, Pant will be in line to play in the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur from September 27.
