When the wicket-keeper batter of India, Rishabh Pant, walked into the middle on the back of Virat Kohli’s dismissal during the opening day of the second Test match at the Adelaide Oval of the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25, Justin Langer, the former coach of Australia, was in the commentary box.
The love affair of Rishabh Pant is extraordinary in the red-ball format down under. The left-handed batter has smashed 683 runs in 15 innings at an average of over 52 with a strike rate of around 70, with the help of two half-centuries and one century at the best score of unbeaten 159 runs.
The Delhi-born had a decent time in the first game at the Optus Stadium in Perth when he smashed 37 runs in 78 balls with the help of three boundaries and one six to help the national push to 150 in the first innings, as they went on to earn a 295-run victory to go 0-1 up in the series.
Rishabh Pant has also enjoyed his time in the longest format in the ongoing year, having collected 481 runs in 13 innings at an average of over 40 and a strike rate of around 80, shouldering on three half-centuries and one century with a best score of 109.
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The Uttarakhand-born looked in good touch in his short stay during the first innings of the day-night Adelaide Test when he gathered 21 runs in 35 balls, shouldering on two boundaries, before getting dismissed after he failed to get on to the bounce of the ball.
“Rishabh Pant is my mate, not my nemesis”- Justin Langer
The left-handed batter had a great time last week away from the Test match when he became the costliest player in the history of the Indian Premier League when he was picked up by the Lucknow Super Giants for a price of INR 27 crore.
The former captain of the Delhi Capitals (DC) came into the auction with a base price of INR 2 crore when the Lucknow Super Giants lifted the paddle for the opening bid before the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) joined the war and extended the price to INR 11 crore. The latter was replaced by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who kept on going on till INR 20.50 before the final bid from LSG nearly signed the deal. But the Capitals used their Right to Match card. But, the former accepted their proposed price of INR 27 crore to sign the new poster boy of Indian cricket.
Rishabh Pant had a great time in the previous season of the event when he smashed 446 runs in 13 innings at an average of over 40 and a strike rate of around 155.40, thanks to his three half-centuries with a best score of unbeaten 88 runs.
The LSG head coach, Justin Langer, who was on the opposite side of the Australian side during their last two home red-ball series defeat against India, made a hilarious comment on the batting of Pant. The former opening batter has been impressed with the explosive batting of the individual.
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But now Langer and Pant will work together in the two months of Indian summer, given the latter could potentially be the new captain of the franchise.
“Rishabh Pant has haunted me the most from the last two series. Now, a week ago, I hoped he was my favorite person in the world with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) picking him. Now he’s my mate, not my nemesis.” JL expressed on air.
India collapsed and were bundled out for 180 in their first innings.