Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Ian Chappell believes Australia will be ‘delighted to not face Rishabh Pant’

“India are really going to miss Pant. The area where the Australians will be happy he is not playing in this series is his approach to the game. He’s a counter-attacker. Speaking as a captain, the guys that keep you awake at night are the fellows who score quickly, score big and they can change a match in one session. Rishabh Pant is that sort of player! He’s one player that the Australians don’t have to worry about. They’ll be delighted by that,” he said in a virtual press conference facilitated by Star Sports.

Former India coach Ravi Shastri, meanwhile, pointed out that it wasn’t just Pant’s batting that would have made an impact in the series.

“That’s how important Pant is for India: he ticks both boxes. Behind the stumps his keeping has improved drastically, but he can also get under the skin of the batsmen. That’s one important thing as a keeper. But as a batsman, he can turn a game on its head. In fact, he has played more match-winning innings than any of the top 5 Indian batsmen in the last two-three years when it mattered,” said Shastri.

Shastri was asked who his preferred wicketkeeping option for India was in Pant’s absence with KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan in the fray.

“That’s the tough call for India. really tough call. When it comes to Pant’s replacement, it depends on what the pitch is going to play like. If it’s going to turn, I’m going to go with the better keeper. Guys like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will need someone good behind the stumps,” he said.

Chappell, one of the most respected voices in world cricket, also felt that Ravichandran Ashwin will certainly be the biggest threat but the Australia batters need to be proactive against him.

“Why is Ashwin likely to be the threat? Because he is a smart cricketer. Ashwin will always be a problem. Now, if you let him bowl the way he wants to bowl, you are in trouble. He will be a threat to Australia throughout. They have got to be proactive,” Chappell said.

“You got to be thinking about being proactive. If you are not dictating terms, then you are in trouble. You have to get singles and rotate the strike. He (Ashwin) then has to change (his strategy against) whom he is bowling to then.”

India will play Australia in the first Test at Nagpur, which starts from February 9.