The former opening batter of the Australian side, Matthew Hayden, believes that the country’s cricket lovers have a huge admiration for India’s sensational and aggressive wicket-keeper batter, Rishabh Pant, despite the latter’s heroics during the away Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in 2020-21.
In their previous trip to the country, Pant was the difference between the two teams with the bat in hand. The left-handed batter was the third-highest run-getter of the series with 274 runs in three games at an average of around 70 and a strike rate of 69.89, celebrating a couple of fifties that could have transformed into centuries.
Matthew Hayden points out that the Delhi Capitals’ captain’s excellent muscle memory and thirst for victory will make him a vital member of the team in the upcoming 2024-25 series.
“Rishabh Pant has got muscle memory and thirst for victory”- Matthew Hayden
Rishabh Pant’s presence in the Indian line-up is expected to be a significant factor in the potential success that the team is after. He has improved himself over the years in the wicket-keeping skills, while his aggressive mindset with the bat in hand would be clinical against the hosts.
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“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.” Matthew Hayden expressed being on the sidelines of the ‘CEAT Cricket Rating Awards’ in Mumbai.
The Queensland-born is excited for this fresh talent of the Blue Brigade, besides having the experienced members of the side, including their former captain, Virat Kohli, who would look to make an impression again.
“It was exciting. It was innovative. It was just fresh and good. Then, you have got your old stewards, like Virat Kohli, (he) will make an impression again. From a batting point of view, I’m excited to see how India has that strategy to take on the Australian conditions.” Matthew Hayden shaded light.
Pant has made a surreal comeback in the game of cricket after a life-threatening accident that kept him out of action during the whole of 2022, as he returned to the national team with heroic performances in the T20 World Cup 2024.
Rishabh missed the first game of the Australia trip in 2020-21 in Adelaide, where they were bundled out for a nightmarish 36 runs in their second innings. But the batter showed great resilience with the 97 and unbeaten 89 knock in back-to-back games in Sydney and Brisbane.
The 52-year-old has enlightened how the Indian team despite having no Virat Kohli on the side, was charged up, and that also with a second-team bowling line-up at the Gabba.
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“The great thing from an Indian perspective is that when you look at the last victory, there was no Virat Kohli. There was very much a second team bowling line-up that won at the Gabba.” Matthew Hayden shared during the conversation. “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.”
The veteran also remarked that scheduling a day-night Test, often diminished the benefit that the home side enjoys. The tour will start on November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth before the second game in Adelaide. Gabba will host the third red-ball game of the series. The traditional Boxing Day Test will take place on December 26 in Melbourne, while the New Year’s game will be on January 03 in Sydney.