When Rishabh Pant called up his coach Devender Sharma ahead of his much-anticipated Test comeback, the flamboyant and gritty batter got one advice: 'Head down kar ke khelnaa'.

It was a note of caution about respecting the good balls. With a scintillating hundred in his comeback Test, Pant has reaffirmed his status as one of the most important players in the traditional format.