“We are honored to have a player like Rishabh Pant in our team who makes watching cricket enjoyable” – Saba Karim on India’s takeaway from 1st Test

Former Indian wicket-keeper bat Saba Karim has showered praise on Rishabh Pant after India registered a thumping win of 280 runs in the opening Test match against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Sunday. 

Karim said the fans are honored to have a player like Rishabh Pant in their team who makes watching cricket enjoyable. Pant made a return to Test cricket after a long hiatus of 629 days however he was able to hit the ground running.

The left-hander scored a crucial knock of 39 runs in the first innings and then backed it up with a fine knock of 109 runs off just 128 balls in the second essay against   the Tigers. The southpaw batted at the top of his game and scored his sixth Test century. Pant scored 13 fours and four maximums in his majestic knock and added 167 runs with Shubman Gill, who went on to score an unbeaten 119.

“The biggest story of this Test match was Rishabh Pant’s comeback in Test cricket, which everyone was waiting for. I might be saying a big thing. There was a time when we used to say that we were blessed to see Sachin Tendulkar’s era and then MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli’s phases came,” Saba Karim said on Colors Cineplex.

“We are honored to have a player like Rishabh Pant in our team who makes watching cricket enjoyable, whether he is at the crease or behind the wickets. I feel we will repeatedly be taking Rishabh Pant’s name in the upcoming decade. Very few international players have the skill set, mentality, and clarity this player has,” the former India wicketkeeper-batter added.

While Pant has already proved his mettle in the white-ball formats after coming back from serious multiple injuries, Karim highlighted there were doubts on his return to the longest format of the game.

“This has been a splendid comeback and was the right definition of a comeback. When he was returning after such a long time, everyone was thinking how he would keep and bat in the longer format, and how he would be in terms of nerves,” Karim said.”However, he dispelled all those thoughts not only with the way he batted but, in my opinion, how he kept as well. I agree that he missed a stumping chance today but the stability he provides as a keeper and batter makes a huge impact on the team,” he added.

Karim tipped Pant as the most crucial batter for India in the remaining matches of the WTC cycle.

“The home domination we are talking about and the overseas domination we should be talking about after some time, I feel Rishabh Pant will have the biggest role in that,” Karim observed.

The second Test match between India and Bangladesh will be played at Green Park, Kanpur from September 27.