"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
Saba Karim has picked Rishabh Pant's terrific comeback in the longest format as the biggest takeaway for India from the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai. He predicted the wicketkeeper-batter to dominate world cricket for the next decade or so, just like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli have done in the past or are doing currently.
India completed a 280-run annihilation of Bangladesh on Day 4 (Sunday, September 22) of the series opener. Pant, who scored 39 runs off 52 deliveries in India's first innings, smashed a 128-ball 109 in the second essay to help Rohit Sharma and company set a massive 515-run target for the visitors.
During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, Saba Karim was asked about the biggest takeaway for India from the first Test.
"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," he responded.
"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.
Before the Chennai game, Pant last played a Test match in December 2022. The 109-run knock was his sixth century in Tests, equaling Dhoni's record for the most hundreds by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter in the longest format.
"Everyone was thinking how he would keep and bat in the longer format" - Saba Karim on Rishabh Pant
![Rishabh Pant struck 13 fours and four sixes during his century. [P/C: BCCI]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/09/772db-17269916423702-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same discussion, Saba Karim noted that Rishabh Pant put to rest all skepticism about his ability to deliver in Tests after the long layoff.
"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.
The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that Pant will be the most crucial player for India in the remaining Tests of the ongoing World Test Championship 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.
After the second Test against Bangladesh, which will start in Kanpur on September 27, India will face New Zealand in a three-Test home series. They will then complete their WTC league phase engagements with a five-Test away series against Australia.