Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has applauded Rishabh Pant for his brilliant comeback in the Test format in the first Test between India and Bangladesh in Chennai. Pant who was away from the action for more than a year due to a horrific car accident, last played a Test in December 2022, smashed 109 runs off 128 deliveries in India’s second-innings as well.

During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, Chopra said, “Comebacks are always more difficult than debuts because you have already seen a lot, in and out, ups and downs, everything has happened with you. People also judge you a little quickly when you are making a comeback. Here the comeback was also due to some other reason. This was a slight culmination. There was never a doubt about it because white and red-ball cricket is the same. He has just come after becoming the world champion. So it’s not that he was lacking confidence or wasn’t able to bat but, for some strange reason, Test cricket has been his strongest suit. He has shone the most in that.”

“He reminds you of Virender Sehwag. When you watched him play, you felt he would be the T20 king but he shone the most in Tests. Rishabh Pant’s story is also similar thus far. It seems with the way he plays, he would be destroying the most in T20s, but he doesn’t allow you to bowl here (in Tests),” he again shared.

Aakash Chopra also added that Pant, more like Virender Sehwag, has been most at home in red-ball cricket although their playing styles would suggest otherwise as well. Pant has amassed 2419 runs at an average of 44.79 in 34 Tests so far as well.

“If you try to define confidence, if a player does something away from his character, it means his confidence is at its peak because you can always run towards your character. So what he did at the start, continuously defending and leaving deliveries, that was brilliant,” he concluded.