Former England captain Nasser Hussain feels that Rishabh Pant’s comeback from injury should boost India’s performance in the Test format, especially away from home. Pant is currently recovering from multiple injuries that he sustained in a car accident last year. He is taking huge steps toward making his international comeback.
The 25-year-old was in red-hot form in Tests last year, scoring 680 runs at an average of 61.81 and a strike rate of over 90 before he met with the fatal accident. Pant is still remembered for his batting heroics in the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia 2020/21. He has also scored 2 centuries in England and a century in South Africa.
Nasser Hussain Explained Why Rishabh Pant’s Return Is Important
Speaking on the ICC Review, Nasser Hussain felt that the return of Rishabh Pant will be pivotal for team India’s middle-order in Test. He said:
“I was travelling with Ricky (Ponting) a lot during the Ashes, and he was texting Rishabh, and Rishabh was in the gym, and he was getting updates. He is a massive miss at the moment and hopefully he will come back,”
Hussain On Hardik Pandya’s Return To Test
Hussain also added that a seam-bowling-all-rounder like Hardik Pandya could help the Indian cricket team tremendously. He said:
“It’s away from home and the balance of the side and if they can get a seam bowling all-rounder. Hardik (Pandya) would’ve been perfect if Hardik had stayed fit and continued that process,”
He added: “An Indian cricketer at the moment, a (Ben) Stokes type cricketer, a Cameron Green type cricketer, a Mitchell Marsh type cricketer, a batter at No.6 or No.7, away from home, that can bowl you 10 or 15 overs of genuine wicket-taking seam and swing, not a bowler who bats a bit, a batter who can give you 10 overs of seam bowling, and then that balance away from home makes them formidable,”
It has to be noted that Hardik Pandya has not played in the red-ball format for the Indian cricket team since the 2018 England tour. In 11 Tests, Pandya has amassed 532 runs at an average of 31.29 and picked up 17 wickets at a 31.05 average.
Furthermore, Nasser Hussain praised the Indian cricket team for their performance at home. He thinks that the side is brilliant at home, boasting an outstanding team balance. He said:
“They are brilliant at home and the balance of their side at home is just wonderful. They’ve got senior players like Rohit and obviously Virat (Kohli) and they are just world class players and they’ve got youngsters coming in, like Shubman (Gill), who’s going to be a superstar,”
Hussain On Bumrah’s Return
Hussain also said that the return of sensational bowler Jasprit Bumrah will also improve the side further. He said:
“If Jasprit (Bumrah) can come back as well, one of the great multi-format bowlers there is at the moment, if not the best, when fit. So, they’ve got those senior players and youngsters, and with the ball in India, those three all-rounders, and they are genuine all rounders in India – Axar (Patel), (Ravindra) Jadeja and (Ravichandran) Ashwin. That, for me, is a really balanced side,”
Talking about Jasprit Bumrah, the star bowler has been out of action since September last year because of a lower back stress fracture. However, he is now all fit and is all set to return in the upcoming T20I series against Ireland.
