We got to keep Rishabh Pant quiet: Pat Cummins

Australia captain Pat Cummins said his team will have to find a way to keep Rishabh Pant quiet in the upcoming blockbuster Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting November 22. The left-handed batter has a pretty good record against Australia in Test cricket, having amassed 624 runs across seven Tests at an average of 62.4 and a strike rate of 72.1.

Pant didn’t play Test cricket for almost two years after being involved in an unfortunate road accident in December 2022. The wicketkeeper-batter made his return to red-ball cricket in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai and smashed his sixth hundred. He slammed 39 in the first innings and then followed it up with a 128-ball 109 in the second essay.

Comparing Pant’s batting style to Australia’s own Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh, Cummins said on Star Sports, "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."

The Men in Blue have won the last four Border-Gavaskar Trophy, including two in Australia (2018-19 and 2020-21), and Pant played a major role in both those wins. In the 2018-19 Test series, the left-hander smashed 274 runs in five innings at an average of 68.5. 

And when India toured Australia once again in 2020-21, Pant got 350 runs across seven innings at an average of 58.33. Pant’s 97 off 118 helped India draw a Test in Sydney before his 89* off 138 propelled the Men in Blue to a historic win at the Gabba. "He is someone who has had a big influence on a couple of series. Got to try to keep him quiet,” said Cummins.

The first Test of the five-match series will be played in Perth before the action shifts to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney respectively.

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