The former captain of the Australian side across formats, Ricky Ponting, has warned the home side to be careful of India’s wicket-keeper batter, Rishabh Pant, during the upcoming five-match series at home in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. He also brought a comparison between Pant and the former Indian captain, MS Dhoni, in the red-ball format.
Ricky Ponting believes that the Delhi-born has all the abilities to do better down under, as he has already helped India with massive contributions in their last two trips. With his aggression, Rishabh Pant has changed the flow of the game on many occasions in such a short career.
The left-handed batter was the second-highest run-getter of the four-match Test series during the 2018-19 season with 350 runs in seven innings at an average of 58.33 and a strike rate of 73.99, celebrating a century of unbeaten 159 runs during the fourth game at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
“Rishabh Pant must have four or five hundreds already”- Ricky Ponting
In the last tour of Australia during the 2020-21 season, the young batter was the third leading run-getter of the series, where he collected 274 runs in five innings at an average of 68.50 and a strike rate of nearly 70, shouldering on a couple of half-centuries with the best score of 97.
Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah Robbed Of First Spot As KL Rahul Names His Top 5 Bowlers’ List
The former coach of the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, who has worked with Rishabh Pant closely for the last three to four seasons, touched on his competitiveness besides sharing the light environment he brings during the game.
“We’ve all seen him play and heard him in the stump mic, he’s an infectious character to have around the group. He loves his cricket, he’s a winner, that’s what he is. He doesn’t just play to make a few runs and be out there for the fun of it.” The Tasmania-born expressed during the conversation with Sky Sports.
In 33 red-ball games, the Uttarakhand-born has already smashed 2271 runs in 56 innings at an average of 43.67 and a strike rate of over 70 with the help of five centuries in 11 half-centuries with a best of 159*, as all of his hundreds in the longest format have come outside India.
In comparison to the former Indian captain, MS Dhoni, who finished with 4876 runs in Tests in 90 games at an average of 38.09, notching up six centuries with a best score of 224, these numbers of Pant are much more attractive.
“He (Rishabh Pant) must have 4 or 5 Test hundreds already and he’s got about nine 90s as well. (MS) Dhoni played for 120 Tests (90) and made 3 or 4 hundreds (6); this is how good this guy (Pant) is. He’s a serious cricketer.” Ponting remarked in the same conversation.
Also Read: Sourav Ganguly Highlights Lack Of Talent In Pakistan Team; Predicts Rishabh Pant’s Future
The veteran also looked back at the time when the 26-year-old met that unfortunate accident that kept him out of action for a year before he just marked his return to the Test squad for the Chennai game against Bangladesh.
“It’s a remarkable comeback. If you can see even his (Rishabh Pant) leg now and listen to the stories he tells about what he confronted during his car accident, just the mental scarring that comes with that but, the physical side and the rehab he went through, I didn’t think he would play last year’s IPL (2024).” The two-time World Cup-winning captain narrated.
The opening Test of the BGT 2024-25 will take place on November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth.