Australian Test captain Pat Cummins has spoken about a focus on Rishabh Pant before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Speaking with Star Sports ahead of the five-match Test series, Cummins noted Pant was a rare player who could change the course of a game and, therefore, one Australia had to watch.

Border-Gavaskar Trophy

The series beginning in November forms a hat-trick of wins for India, with the Indians having won two series consecutively in Australia. He played a major part in the last series as well with his performance at Gabba sealing India’s victory in the final Test. Pant was literally back in Test cricket following a 632 day absence due to the serious injury suffered in 2022. Forwards, he scored a century against Bangladesh. He was vital for India’s victory in T20 World Cup 2024 victory in Barbados.

“Every team has one or two of those players who take the game on. Australia have Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh. I think those guys, you know that they are going to be aggressive, take the game on. Like Rishabh Pant might play a reverse slap and it is an incredible shot and that’s just part of who he is,” Cummins said on Star Sports.

Rishabh Pant: A Threat For Australia

“He’s someone that has a big influence in a couple of series and we have go to try and keep him quiet,” he further added.

As India prepares for BGT 2024-25 and the World Test Championship final in 2025, if they qualify, then it shall be Pant who makes all the difference between win and defeat. Currently, Rohit Sharma’s team is at the top of the points table, so given the conditions, everything is sitting pretty.