Australian captain Pat Cummins acknowledged the need to find a strategy to contain Rishabh Pant during the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. The New South Wales fast bowler emphasized that Pant is a game-changer for India and can sway matches in their favour at any moment.
Pant made his return to India’s Test team in the recent match against Bangladesh in Chennai, marking his first appearance since December 2022. The 26-year-old was pivotal in India’s recent Test series in Australia, averaging 62.40 over 12 innings with 624 runs.
In an interview with Star Sports, Cummins compared Pant to Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head, noting their ability to play aggressively and change the game. He emphasized the need to limit Pant’s impact in the upcoming series, considering his significant contributions in the previous encounters.
Cummins said:
“Look, I think every team has one or two of those players who can take the game on. We have Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh. I think with those guys, you know they’re going to be aggressive. You miss your area a little bit and they can take the game on. Someone like Rishabh Pant might play a reverse lap and it’s an incredible shot.”
“That’s just a part of who he is. We’ve become accustomed to it nowadays because some of those ridiculous shots are a bit more common. He is someone who has had a big influence on a couple of series. Got to try to keep him quiet.”
In his first Test since returning, Pant scored 39 and 109 against Bangladesh, helping India secure a dominant 280-run victory.
Pat Cummins aims to help Australia reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after suffering four straight series defeats
Cummins, who took over as Test captain from Tim Paine in 2021, aims to lead Australia to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since the 2014-15 series. In the last series in Australia, he was the leading wicket-taker with 21 wickets. The first of the five Tests is set to begin on November 22 at Optus Stadium in Perth.
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