NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant is set to make his comeback after a four-month break in the first Test against South Africa, and former Proteas wicketkeeper Mark Boucher has advised Temba Bavuma and his team to be cautious of the 'dangerous player'.
Pant, who fractured his toe during the fourth Test against England in Manchester, was in sublime touch scoring 90 in a winning chase in the opening India A Test against South Africa A and a 65 in the second game despite being retired hurt on 17.
He later returned to finish the innings, signalling both form and fitness ahead of the senior team's Test series.
‘Gratitude for life’: Emotional Rishabh Pant thanks God on return to international cricket, WATCH
"Rishabh Pant is a very dangerous player. We've seen him change games in the space of a few hours. South Africa will know that, and they need to have their preparation against him. If they are smart, they play on his emotions a bit. Also, understand what he wants to do and how he wants to dominate," Boucher said on Star Sports.
Boucher laid out a strategy to curb Pant's influence, recommending that South Africa deploy boundary riders to restrict his scoring opportunities and test his patience. He emphasised that getting under the skin of the aggressive batter could be crucial to limiting his impact.
"It's not defensive to put a couple of boundary riders out to Rishabh Pant and make him really work hard for his runs. It's not something he isn't used to doing, but the way that he plays, he wants the scoreboard to be ticking all the time. You can put a slight halt to that and frustrate him a bit. So they need to do their homework properly with him, which I am sure they would have probably already done."
Pant believes that making a comeback from an injury is never easy, but he feels blessed by God’s grace. He also expressed his gratitude to his family and fans, who stood by him during the toughest phase of his career.
"After an injury, it is never easy to come back. But God has been kind always and he has blessed me always, and this time also, and very happy to be back," said Pant in a video posted by the BCCI.
"See, every time I take the field, one thing I try to be is to be grateful. That's why I always look up and thank God, my parents, my family, everyone has supported me (during the recovery phase)," added the man who recovered from life-threatening injuries from a car accident to return last year.
