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India’s remarkable talent was fortunate to survive a horror accident, but supporters are often guilty of wanting moreIt must have felt hallucinatory for Rishabh Pant. A T20 World Cup match in Nassau County, New York is unusual at the best of times; it becomes even stranger as the scene of a long-awaited competitive return to international cricket, the end of a 17-month absence that could so easily have been permanent. India’s wicketkeeper entered at 22 for one, the target a meagre 97 against Ireland, but the track posing enough danger to force Rohit Sharma off with a blow to the upper arm. So much time away could prompt concern, coerce the hands to grip the bat a little tighter. The feet try to remember how they once moved under the eyes of millions while the mind tries to focus on the only thing that matters: the ball.But Pant doesn’t really do nerves. A straight slap for four got him off the mark, and a couple of hits to the body followed before he ended the match with a reverse-swat for six, leaving him unbeaten on 36. He had been in fine touch in late 2022, too, stroking 93 against Bangladesh in Mirpur to end the calendar year with 680 Test runs at 61.81, his strike rate above 90. The numbers matched his ability as the most captivating wicketkeeper-batter of his generation. A first one-day hundred for India in July against England was a handy achievement before a 50-over World Cup at home the following year. To close out a momentous 12 months, Pant drove from Delhi to Roorkee, Uttarakhand, to see his mother. He never made it there. Continue reading...