"Guys like Rishabh Pant have got a muscle memory and the thirst for victory" - Matthew Hayden
Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden picked wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant as one of the key players for India in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy. India will take on Australia in a five-match Test series from November 22 to January 3.
India have won the Border Gavaskar Trophy on the last four occasions, including two in Australia. The 2020-21 tour down under saw the side pull off a miraculous 2-1 series win despite dealing with multiple injuries.
Among several heroic efforts from numerous players, Rishabh Pant was right on top, scoring 274 runs at an average of 68.50 with two crucial half-centuries.
Speaking about the upcoming India-Australia series at the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards ceremony, Matthew Hayden praised Pant's hunger for victory and exciting batting style.
"Guys like Rishabh Pant have got a muscle memory and the thirst for victory. He was such a key player last time he played there and the Australian public loved him as well, because of the nature of the way he played his game," said Hayden.
He added:
"It was exciting. It was innovative. It was just fresh and good. Then you have got your old stewards, like Virat Kohli, (he) will want to make an impression again. From a batting point of view, I’m excited to see how India have that strategy to take on the Australian conditions."
Rishabh Pant saved his best for the last as he scored 97 and 89* in the final two Tests to help India draw the penultimate game in Sydney and pull off an improbable run-chase of 328 in the final Test in Brisbane.
However, the 26-year-old hasn't played a red-ball game for India since the car accident and subsequent injury in December 2022.
"The great thing from an Indian perspective is that when you look at the last victory, there was no Virat Kohli" - Matthew Hayden
Matthew Hayden feels India would take confidence from their last tour of Australia when they won the series without ace batter Virat Kohli in the final three Tests.
Kohli played the first Test in Adelaide, which India lost by eight wickets and returned home for personal reasons to miss the rest of the series. Ajinkya Rahane took over as captain for the final three Tests, as India pulled off the 2-1 series win.
"The great thing from an Indian perspective is that when you look at the last victory, there was no Virat Kohli. There was a very much a second team bowling line-up that won at the Gabba. That’s the kind of confidence that you can expect this Indian unit to go to our shores (with) and go, ‘guys, we’ve done this before, and we’ve done it in a way that’s second to none, even without our key players," said Hayden.
The first Test of the much-awaited series between the two teams on top of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table starts in Perth on November 22.