Duleep Trophy 2024: Rishabh Pant smashes half-century as India B keep stronghold after Day 3

Rishabh Pant last played a red-ball game in December 2022 just before his life-threatening car accident. The wicket-keeper batter was back in action during IPL 2024 and won the T20 World Cup 2024 for India, and most recently until featuring in the ongoing Round 1 game of the Duleep Trophy 2024. The Gabba conqueror is touted as one of the freakish Test batters, and now his return to the format is much-awaited.

India will take on Bangladesh in a two-match Test series commencing on September 19. Pant is likely to find a place and needs to prove his match fitness. And the Round 1 game at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, came as that much-awaited opportunity, and the southpaw notched up a half-century playing against India A on September 07.

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The 26-year-old is playing under Abhimanyu Easwaran for India B. Coming into bat at number five, he scored a brisk 61 off 47, laced with nine boundaries and two maximums. He eventually holed out to Kumar Kushagra via Tanush Kotian. Another notable contribution came from Sarfaraz Khan, who departed after amassing 46 off 36 as India B ended Day 3 on 150 for 6.

After posting 321 runs in the first innings, India B contained the Shubman Gill-led side in Bengaluru for 231 on Day 3. Navdeep Saini and Mukesh Kumar wreaked havoc with three wickets each. On the back of Pant and Sarfaraz’s innings, India B will face the first ball of Day 4 on the back of a hefty lead of 242 runs with four wickets in hand.

One particular reason for India B’s stronghold on the game is the uncapped young batter, Musheer Khan. The right-handed batter strolled through the park sprinkling timely boundaries and culminated his stay in a marathon innings. He scored 181 off 373 balls in the first innings, embellished with 16 boundaries and five maximums.