Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri feels Rishabh Pant’s return to cricket after his tragic car accident has been nothing short of a miracle. Pant has been able to hit the ground running since his return to competitive cricket after suffering multiple injuries in a car accident.
Pant has been in terrific form and top-scored in the three-Test match series against New Zealand with 261 runs at an average of 43.50. Pant returned with scores of 60 and 64 in the Mumbai Test, which India lost by 25 runs.
The left-hander is known to turn the match on its head with his blistering batting and has proved his mettle on multiple occasions at the top level.
“Honestly, if you had seen him you would not have given him a hope in hell to play cricket again. I will never forget it. He was in terrible shape. I went to see him in hospital a month after he was injured. He was battered and bruised, scarred all over,” Shastri was quoted as saying by news.com.au, as per a report in news agency PTI.
“He had a massive operation and had stitches all over the place. From there to simply recover and play cricket was a miracle. To then go on and play in a World Cup-winning team and be a part of the Test team is a truly remarkable achievement,” the former India all-rounder went on to add.
Shastri feels the car accident could have gotten worse for Rishabh Pant had he not received help.
“If not for some good Samaritans and his own presence of mind which prompted him to break the windshield of his car, the accident could have turned fatal for him,” Shastri opined.
On the other hand, Pant has an impeccable record against Australia in the red-ball version. The left-hander has scored 624 runs in seven Test matches at an average of 62.40 while playing against Australia.
“His return to Australia for this tour in form and a man Australia fears, an unthinkable prospect when he was bailed up in hospital unable to walk,” Shastri said in praise of Team India’s stumper.
“When you speak to him now the respect he has for the game is even more. He was nowhere and suddenly he is back and he values that. But I have seen him work really, really hard over the past few months to get in to the shape he is to play Test cricket,” the 62-year-old added.
The opening Test match between India and Australia will be played at Perth from November 22 onwards.
