“He gave me the freedom I wanted,” Rishabh Pant talks about his “understanding” with former coach Ravi Shastri

Indian wicketkeeper and batsman Rishabh Pant is set to make his first Test comeback since his horrific car accident in 2022.

The left-hander has been named in the squad for the first Test of the upcoming two-match series against Bangladesh, which begins on September 19 in Chennai.

Interestingly, Pant's last Test appearance was against Bangladesh in December 2022, a few days before the car accident that turned his life upside down.

After recovering from life-threatening injuries, Rishabh Pant returned to competitive play during the 2024 IPL season. He was also part of India's winning team at the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Meanwhile, everyone is waiting for his Test comeback – a format in which he scored some of India's historic wins before the enforced break due to an accident.

In the 33 Tests so far, Pant has played several legendary games, including an unbeaten score of 89 against Australia at the Gabba in 2021.

Speech on Tanmay Bhat's YouTube channelThe daring left-hander thanked former head coach Ravi Shastri for giving him great freedom during his tenure.

“It was a great relationship. I had a great understanding with Ravi Shastri as he gave me the freedom I wanted. I don't like it when someone tells me not to do a certain thing; instead, I prefer it when someone gives me a better option. I would rather switch to a better option than avoid something.” Said Pant.

The 26-year-old recalled a phase when he had problems with off-spinners and Shastri gave him some amazing advice on how to fight them.

“There was a time when I was facing off-spinners while playing strokes against them. Ravi Bhai was thinking about what to tell me then he came to me and told me that we need to find a way to tackle off-spinners. He told me that he found a way and said 'you should play reverse sweep against an off-spinner and that was in Test cricket.'” he added.

Before his Test comeback, Rishabh Pant made his much-awaited return to cricket in the Duleep Trophy 2024. Playing for India B against A, he returned with scores of 7 and 61 (47 balls) to help his team to a 76-run victory.