Australian captain Pat Cummins remains wary of Rishabh Pant's impact in the last two Test series between them ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this year. The right-arm speedster admitted that they must bowl tightly to Pant, given he has a tendency to punish anything loose.
The left-hander, who played his first Test recently against Bangladesh, since returning to international cricket after his accident, has strong numbers against Australia. In 12 innings, Pant has smacked 624 runs against Australia at 62.40 alongside a best of 159*. The 26-year-old played a critical role in India's last two series wins Down Under.
Speaking to Star Sports, Cummins singled out Rishabh Pant's reverse lap as one of the outrageous shots and how he is capable of influencing the result.
"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 and keep him quiet."
Schedule of India vs Australia Test series:
First Test | November 22-26: Perth Stadium, Perth (D)
Second Test | December 6-10: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (D/N)
Third Test | December 14-18: The Gabba, Brisbane (D)
Fourth Test | December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne (D)
Fifth Test | January 3-7: SCG, Sydney (D)
