The wicketkeeper missed last month's Test series against West Indies after fracturing his foot on the tour to England but played in a first-class fixture for India A against South Africa A recently where scored 90 in the second innings.
Pant replaces N Jagadeesan in the squad while seamer Akash Deep was also selected in the 15-man group having played the first two rounds of India's domestic first-class tournament.
Spinner Kuldeep Yadav was withdrawn from India's squad after two games in the five-match T20I series in Australia to return home and prepare for the Test matches.
The left-arm wrist-spinner will be playing for India A in the second four-day game against South Africa A starting in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
India's Test captain Shubman Gill as well as Jasprit Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar will all join the squad at the conclusion of the T20I series in Australia.
The second and final Test of the series will be played in Guwahati, a city that will be hosting a Test match for the first time, from 22 November.
India and the Proteas will also contest three ODIs and five T20Is.
India Test squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep
Mumbai Indians pulled off a heart-stopping victory in the 58th match of IPL 2026, chasing down Punjab Kings' 200/8 with six wickets in hand and just one ball remaining at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.
Records tumbled all around Proteas Women captain Laura Wolvaardt as she powered South Africa to a series win over India in the third T20I on Wednesday.
Zimbabwe's cricket board have confirmed that India will tour the African country to play three T20I matches in July.
India want to keep up their domination in white-ball cricket with ODI captain Shubman Gill wanting to add the 2027 50-over World Cup to their T20 crown.
