"He's a ripping bloke" - Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh pick the one Indian cricketer they believe is most Australian
Aussie opener Travis Head and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh have picked the one Indian batter they believe is most Australian. Both went for keeper-batter Rishabh Pant. According to Head, the Indian stumper would be fun to play with because of the way he goes about his work. On the other hand, Marsh is impressed with the cricketer's mix of aggression and relaxed persona.
Pant made a brilliant comeback to red-ball cricket for India during the first Test against Bangladesh at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Having last played a Test in December 2022 against the same opposition, a few days before his car accident, the southpaw announced his return with 39 and 109 in the Chepauk Test, which India won by 280 runs.
India will be touring down under for five Tests as part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy from November 2024 to January 2025. The build-up to the much-awaited series has already begun. In a video shared on Star Sports, Marsh and Head praised Pant, while naming him as the Indian cricketer who they feel is most Australian.
"The Indian cricketer I believe is most Australian would be Rishabh Pant. I think the way he goes about his aggressive nature, the way he goes about his work, he'd be very enjoyable to play with," Head commented.
"He's a ripping bloke. I wish he was Australian. He's obviously been through a lot the last few years. Hell of a comeback. He's a positive guy, he's still very young, he loves winning. He's highly competitive for someone who, I guess, has the persona of being relaxed - always laughing and smiling. He has got that big smile," Marsh opined about the Indian wicketkeeper.
While Pant is yet to deliver consistently in white-ball cricket for India, he possesses an excellent record in Test cricket. After 34 matches, he has 2,419 runs to his name at an average of 44.8, with six hundreds and 11 half-centuries.
What is Pant's record against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy?
Pant, who will turn 27 in October, has played seven Test matches against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring 624 runs at an average of 62.40, with one century to his credit.
The left-handed batter played four Tests during the 2018-19 tour and scored 350 runs at an average of 58.33. He scored a brilliant 159* in the Sydney contest. During the 2020-21 tour, the keeper-batter contributed 274 runs, averaging 68.50.
Pant scored a counter-attacking 97 in Sydney, helping India save the Test. He then smashed 89* in Brisbane as India ended the Aussies' undefeated streak at The Gabba and clinched the series 2-1.