New Delhi: Aussie Skipper Pat Cummins, wary of India star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, said they must strategise to neutralise the young Indian’s impact in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Cummins remains wary of the India star’s ability to turn the game with his fierce stroke play. Speaking of the 26-year-old Indian batter, Cummins said his side needs to keep Rishabh quiet.
The upcoming five-match Test series between India and Australia will start on November 22. From November 22 to January 7, 2025, India and Australia will play in Perth, Adelaide (pink-ball match), Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.
India has retained the title in the last four successive BGT, including their famous series wins in 2018-19 and 2020-21. Pant played a remarkable knock of 89 not out in Gabba and snatched the victory in style to end Australia’s 32-year undefeated run at their fortress.
Pant made a remarkable comeback in Test cricket against Bangladesh after a long wait of 637 days due to a near-fatal car crash in December 2022. His resilience was on full display as he scored 109 runs in the second innings, helping India to a 280-run victory in Chennai.
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“Look, I think every team has one or two of those players who can take the game on. You know, we’ve got Travis Head and Mitch Marsh and those guys. I think with those guys, you know that they’re going to be aggressive. If you miss your area a little bit, they’re going to take the game on. Someone like Rishabh, he might play a reverse lap, and it’s an incredible shot, and that’s just part of who he is,” Cummins said on Star Sports.
“I think we’ve become a bit more accustomed to it nowadays when some of those ridiculous shots are a bit more common. He’s someone that’s had a big influence on a couple of series and we’ve got to try and keep him quiet,” he added.
India won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia the last two times it was played here, in 2018/19 and 2020/21. Moreover, Australia has not won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series since 2014-15, when they won 2-0 on home soil.
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–IANS
Photo: IANS/R. Parthibhan)