'His mental toughness is in a different league'

After the accident and the kind of rehabilitation that he had to go through, this knock will be right up there, says Rishabh Pant's coach Devender Sharma.

When Rishabh Pant rang his coach Devender Sharma ahead of his much-anticipated Test comeback, the flamboyant and gritty batter got one advice: 'Head down kar ke khelnaa'.

It was a note of caution about respecting the good balls.

With a scintillating hundred in his comeback Test, Pant has reaffirmed his status as one of the most important players in the traditional format.

"Obviously, I am very happy for Rishabh. In fact, he could have got a hundred in the first innings also and I was a bit sad that he didn't get that," Devendra, who has mentored Pant since his pre-teen days at the iconic Sonnet Club told PTI after the end of third day's play.

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"But today he was flawless. This hundred is an important innings for him as it's his first international ton since comeback."

Pant has now equalled Mahendra Singh Dhoni with most number of Test hundreds (6) for an Indian wicket-keeper and that too in his 34th red ball international game compared to 90 played by the former India captain. Add to it, he has more than half a dozen knocks geting out in the 90s.

"The series-winning knock at the Gabba will forever be special for everyone but if as a coach I am asked about this knock, it is invaluable and couldn't have come at a more opportune time.

"Every player needs that confidence and irrespective of all your heady achievements in white ball cricket, it is your Test match exploits that you are remembered for.

"After the accident and the kind of rehabilitation that he had to go through, this knock will be right up there," Devender, a former Delhi wicketkeeper said.

Devender said there was a very short window for getting into the groove for red ball games since Pant was following a tight schedule. He made a comeback in IPL, was part of the victorious T20 World Cup apart from playing in Sri Lanka.

"Test cricket isn't easy on the body after what Rishabh has had to go through. But all of us have now seen that his mental toughness is in a different league.

"If he is determined about something he will do it. He was hardly in Delhi, he mainly trained at the NCA and then played Duleep Trophy. I believe the NCA nets was for short duration but it was quality training before he played Duleep and gave a glimpse of his long format fitness," Devender said.

"The kind of physical work that Rishabh has put in his phenomenal. If you go look at his physique before the accident and now, he is still the same, a strong lad but just got leaner.

"He is looking fitter than ever. He is still the same aggressive player but if you look at his shot selection and the deliveries that he selected, you will know what I am saying," said Devender, who is also a part of Delhi's women's selection committee this year apart from being associated with High Performance Training of the state team last year.

During Pant's absence, Dhruv Jurel did make a mark against England but Devender always knew that his boy is special and when he is fit, he will get his chance.

"This hundred will be a tremendous confidence booster for him going ahead into the big Test match season," said the man, who is also eagerly waiting for his other student Mayank Yadav to start unleashing those 150 plus thunderbolts during this season.