'Have Said It Before...': Pant's Honest Take On Comparisons With Dhoni

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has opened up on his comparisons with legendary stumper MS Dhoni. Pant's reaction came after he helped India beat Bangladesh in the 1st Test in Chennai on Sunday. The 26-year-old made a memorable return to Test cricket, hitting a hundred in his first outing in whites for India since December 2022. For long, Pant has been touted as Dhoni's successor in the Indian team. However, he played down comparisons with the former India captain, insisting that he is focused on creating his own identity.

"This is CSK's home ground. Mahi bhai has played a lot of cricket here. But, for me, like I have said before, I want to be myself. I don't focus on what's being said or what's happening around me. I keep things simple and focus on giving my best. The atmosphere here was amazing, and I really enjoyed it," Pant said after the match.

Pant scored a quickfire 109 in the second innings as India captain Rohit Sharma made the declaration on 287/4 with an overall lead of 514.

Both Pant and Gill reached their sixth and fifth centuries, respectively on Day 3. However, Pant also revealed that India captain Rohit had asked him to up the ante so that they can declare.

"I kept my thought process simple and played according to the situation. They started with spinners on Day 3, but I don't go out with a predetermined way of playing. I knew we had lost three wickets, so I was conscious of not taking too many risks to avoid exposing the tail after Rahul bhai. The pitch was good for batting, and I wanted to make the most of it and score a hundred," he added.

Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin claimed six wickets after a first-innings century with the bat to inspire India to a 280-run thrashing of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh have still never beaten India in Tests in 14 attempts, losing 12 and drawing two.

Bangladesh were bowled out for 234 in the first session of an overcast day four while chasing a victory target of 515.

(With AFP Inputs)