India’s upcoming five Test series against Australia is one of the most anticipated events left this year.
India recently began their Test cricket season with a commanding 280-run victory over Bangladesh in the first Test in Chennai. The second and final match of that series is set to be played in Kanpur on September 27. After that, India will face New Zealand at home in a three-Test series before heading to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which starts on November 22.
Australia looking to break India’s winning streak
Australia has not won a Test series against India since the 2014/15 season. As they prepare for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, they are closely watching how India performs in their home Tests. One key focus has been Rishabh Pant. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter made a strong comeback to Test cricket after not playing since December 2022 due to a car accident.
Pant, who was one of India’s top players before his accident, returned in great form. He scored his sixth Test century in the match, tying MS Dhoni’s record for the most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper. Australian captain Pat Cummins compared Pant to players like Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh from his own team.
Pant’s aggressive style a concern for Australia
Cummins explained that Pant’s aggressive approach to batting could be a game-changer, similar to how Head and Marsh play for Australia. “Pant is known for playing bold shots like the reverse slap, which is incredible and a part of his style,” Cummins said during an interview on Star Sports.
Cummins emphasized that keeping Pant’s impact limited will be crucial for Australia’s chances of winning their first Test series against India since 2014/15. “He’s had a big role in past series, and we need to try to keep him quiet,” Cummins added.
Pant’s success in Australia
Pant has been key to India’s recent success in Australia, helping them win back-to-back Test series on their last two tours. In seven matches in Australia, he has scored 624 runs, including one century and two fifties, with an average of 62.40 and a strike rate of 72.13.
In the 2018/19 series, he was India’s second-highest run scorer as India became the first Asian team to win a Test series in Australia. However, his standout performance came during the 2020/21 series. Despite entering the series with his place in doubt, Pant ended up as India’s highest run scorer. His unbeaten 89 from 138 balls in the final Test helped India chase down 328 runs, marking the first time in over 30 years that a team had beaten Australia at the Gabba.
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