Rishabh Pant made a sparkling return to Test cricket when he notched up a century in 124 balls on Day 3 of the first Test between India and Bangladesh at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. India went on to win the opening Test by a margin of 280 runs.
While the Chepauk crowd was in raptures during the wicketkeeper-batter’s stroke-filled hundred, which marked his return to the format in over 18 months, Pant had time for his entertaining antics too.
During his innings, the stump mic caught the Indian keeper advising Bangladesh on its field setup. “ Ek fielder yaha (One fielder here), at mid-wicket,” Pant was heard gesturing to the leg side.
Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hussain Shanto even obliged him by deploying a player there on day three of the contest.
“I think the understanding of the game for me is that cricket should improve wherever you play. I was just trying to help the other team, that they can set a fielder here. It was amazing actually, I enjoyed it,” a smiling Pant explained in a BCCI video on its X account.
Watch the moment Rishabh Pant helped Bangladesh’s field out here:
“I was very nervous, very jittery. There was a fire in me that I wanted to make it happen, and eventually it did. I don’t want to think too much about it, but I’m happy,” he added.
After Pant was involved in a horrific car accident in December 2022, the keeper was sidelined for a significant period, missing cricket for almost two years. He returned to the sport earlier this year with the Indian Premier League, where he captained the Delhi Capitals.
Before donning the Indian jersey for the Test against Bangladesh, Pant played for India B in the Duleep Trophy.
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