Will try and have some good plans for 'dangerous' Rishabh Pant: Pat Cummins

Australian Test captain Pat Cummins acknowledged the threat that Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant can pose to his team during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. However, the star all-rounder said that there will be plans in place for the flamboyant southpaw, who has had surreal success Down Under in a young career.

The five-match Test series gets underway on November 22 as the two teams square off at the Optus Stadium in Perth. India will be heading into the series after suffering a humiliating whitewash against New Zealand in a three-Test affair at home.

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The Indian batters did not have a great outing as the Kiwi spinners bamboozled them in favourable conditions. However, Pant was one of the few batters who stood out. The 27-year-old finished as the highest run-getter, scoring 261 runs from six innings at an average of 43.50. Pant will look to continue the good work during the high-voltage series against the Aussies, with vital World Test Championship (WTC) points at stake.

Cummins highlighted Pant's ability to move the game at a rapid pace and also spoke about the youngster's previous successful stints on Australian soil.

“Yeah, he is someone who always moves the game on pretty quickly, so for some of the players, you have to have some sound plans, too. He's played well, he had a good series out here in Australia last time. So yeah, we know he can be dangerous when he gets going, so [we'll] try and have some good plans and hope they come off,” Cummins told Hindustan Times.

How has Rishabh Pant fared in Tests Down Under?

Pant has been to Australia to play red-ball cricket on two occasions with the senior red-ball team. On his first trip in 2018-19, the Delhi cricketer finished as the second-highest run-scorer, helping India win 2-1. On his next trip, he was the third-highest run-getter as the tourists once again emerged victorious by a 2-1 margin.

In seven Test matches in Australia, Pant has amassed 624 runs at a staggering average of 62.40 and an awe-inspiring strike rate of 72.13. He has two half-centuries and a ton to his name. His highest score of 159* came in Sydney in January 2019, when he was just 21 and in his first year in Test cricket.