NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant is back in Test cricket after a four-month hiatus and with him comes the perfect mix of comedy and invaluable on-field advice. Whether it's motivating the bowlers or delivering hilarious stump mic one-liners, Pant keeps the field buzzing with energy, proving once again that he's as entertaining as he is essential to the team.

During Day 1 of the first Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Pant's one-liners once again stole the limelight, as he advised Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav on where to bowl to keep the South African batters in check.

"They're going to play everything here. Most of them play the ball late, keep it a bit inside, a little tucked in - that's how the whole team plays. When he plays the sweep, it goes for a nice catch. He doesn't go for singles much; he's more of a sweep player," Pant's words were picked up on the stump mic.

Pant, who sustained a foot fracture during the fourth Test against England at Manchester in July, made his return to competitive cricket during India A's two unofficial Tests against South Africa A in Bengaluru.

"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.

Pant said his focus was on keeping his mind in a good space during the rehabilitation period, rather than worrying about external speculation about his future.

"One thing I do is to focus on controllables, luck is one thing that you cannot control. So, I try not to think about that, as there are so many factors that we don't factor in.

"But if you can keep your mind in a place where a lot of things are not affecting you, and you focus only on things that matter to you. You will find happiness if you keep on doing things that make you feel good, especially when you are injured," he said.