Watching Rishabh Pant playing Test cricket for a moment won’t make you feel that he hasn’t played a red-ball game in over 18 months. You wouldn’t think that he had to undergo several knee operations and had even struggled to walk at one point. It feels like he never felt the game. No hiccups; he was up and running at the moment. Pant even scored a century in the first Test match he played upon his return.
Rahul Dravid on Rishabh Pant’s return
Rahul Dravid, the former head coach, under whom Pant played some of his finest knocks, heaped praise on the wicketkeeper. Dravid admitted that he was astounded by Pant’s return. “What a special cricketer he’s been. He’s just taken to Test cricket (upon return) like a duck to water. It’s just phenomenal,” he told Star Sports.
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Taking over MS Dhoni’s legacy in Test cricket
Many feared once MS Dhoni retired from Test cricket, no one would be able to take his position. Wriddhiman Saha matched Dhoni when it came to keeping skills but wasn’t close to the batter Dhoni was. However, his absence wasn’t felt for long as Pant came into the mix just four years later.
Some already argue that Pant’s already taken over Dhoni’s legacy with Test hundreds in South Africa, Australia, and England. No Indian wicketkeeper has scored even one hundred in SENA nations, but Pant alone has 4, but Dravid doesn’t want to compare.
“I mean, it’s hard to imagine that, after Dhoni left, you felt there might be some time for someone to come in and replace him. I’m not saying he’s replaced him, but certainly in Test cricket, his performances have been absolutely sensational,” Dravid added.
MS Dhoni & Rishabh Pant: Test stats comparison
| Span | Matches | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s | Catches | Stumps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rishabh Pant | 2018-2024 | 39 | 2731 | 43.34 | 6 | 14 | 130 | 15 |
| MS Dhoni | 2005-2014 | 90 | 4876 | 38.09 | 6 | 33 | 256 | 38 |
