Rishabh Pant braces for Test return after 632 days

A harsh sun beating down on him, Rishabh Pant was engrossed preparing for his first Test in two years, taking down net bowlers in that unmistakably Pantish way.

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From getting tossed up some 40m into air off a toppled car to getting back to cricket field at the highest level is nothing less than extraordinary.

It was hard to believe that 632 days have passed since Pant has played a Test match, and, coincidentally, his last five-day game was also against Bangladesh in 2022.

Now, the same opposition awaits him on his return to Test cricket come Thursday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, and while the cricketing landscape around him remains largely unchanged, though some worthy contenders have come up in the interim.