Rishabh Pant scored 109 for India against Bangladesh in 2nd innings of 1st Test© AFP
Comeback man Rishabh Pant marked his return to Test cricket in style, scoring a century in the second innings of the series opener against Bangladesh. Pant's heroic turn left many emotional, as fans, pundits and his peers recalled the horrific car crash he was a part of in December 2022. Around 600 days from that accident, Pant is seemingly back to his best, especially in red-ball cricket. As fans and former cricketers recalled the wicket-keeper batter's journey, even Pakistan great Wasim Akram shared an emotional note.
"Look at Pant's performance, the miracle that he has performed by showing he is superhuman by returning from his tragedy," said Akram on Sportskeeda. "The way his accident happened, we were all worried in Pakistan, I was worried and tweeted about him."
Akram recalled some of Pant's exemplary shots, especially the one he hit against England pace great James Anderson. While the wicket-keeper batter always had the talent, it's the mental ability he showed, bouncing back after a near-fatal accident, that Akram is most impressed with.
"The way he used to play in Test cricket, the way he performed in Australia with the century then," said the Pakistan great. "The way he batted against England, playing a reverse sweep against [James] Anderson in Test cricket, even [Pat] Cummins. He's special."
"Especially what he has been through in that horrific accident, coming back from that, how mentally strong must that boy be."
Akram wants Pant's story of cricketing return to be told to children for generations, hoping it would inspire many to bounce back from difficult situations.
"That's 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.
"He came back and averaged 40 in the IPL, 446 runs at a strike rate of 155, he's a miracle kid," Akram concluded.