Gabba was special but Test hundred on comeback is also right up there: Pant's coach Devender

When Rishabh Pant called up his coach Devender Sharma ahead of his muchanticipated Test comeback the flamboyant and gritty batter got one advice Head down kar ke khelnaaIt 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 formatObviously 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 didnt get that Devendra who has mentored Pant since his preteen days at the iconic Sonnet Club told PTI after the end of third days playBut today he was flawless This hundred is an important innings for him as its his first international ton since comeback Pant has now equalled MS Dhoni with most number of Test hundreds 6 and that too in his 34th red ball international game compared to 90 played by the former India captain Add to it more than half a dozen knocks when he got out in the 90sThe serieswinning 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 couldnt have come at a more opportune timeEvery 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 forAfter 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 saidDevender 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 LankaTest cricket isnt 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 leagueIf 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 saidAlso ReadKohlis joyful dance celebrating Shakibs dismissal capture hearts online WATCHThe 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 leanerHe 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 Delhis womens selection committee this year apart from being associated with High Performance Training of the state team last yearDuring Pants 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 chanceThis 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 seasonWith agency inputs