Rishabh Pant's Triumphant Test Comeback After Devastating Accident

Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, after surviving a horrific car accident in 2022, made a remarkable return to test cricket by hitting a century. Despite multiple surgeries and doubts about his future, Pant demonstrated his resilience and passion for the game. His performance earned accolades, including from India captain Rohit Sharma.

Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, after surviving a horrifying car accident nearly two years ago, marked his test cricket comeback with a stunning century. In December 2022, what was meant to be a surprise visit to his mother ended in tragedy when Pant's car hit a central divider, flipped over, and caught fire.

Pant underwent several surgeries and faced uncertainty about his career before returning to compete in the Indian Premier League earlier this year. At 26, he was part of the Indian squad that won the T20 World Cup in June. Still, questions remained about his ability to handle the demands of five-day cricket before the two-test series against Bangladesh.

In his first test post-accident, Pant scored 39 runs in the first innings and then dramatically hit 109 off 128 balls in the second innings, equaling Mahendra Singh Dhoni's record for the most test hundreds by an Indian wicketkeeper. After his milestone achievement on Saturday, Pant celebrated modestly, looking skywards and blowing a kiss.

'It was emotional because coming back, I wanted to score in each and every match, which I couldn't do,' Pant said after India trounced Bangladesh by 280 runs in the series opener. 'But coming back to test cricket, where I belong most, is great.'

India coach Gautam Gambhir stated that younger wicketkeepers like Dhruv Jurel would have to wait their turn, and captain Rohit Sharma praised Pant's resilience. 'He loves this format the most, and we always knew his capabilities with bat and gloves,' said Sharma. 'It's all about getting him back into the game and giving him that game-time.'

(With inputs from agencies.)