'He is so dynamic and aggressive' - Nathan Hauritz picks Rishabh Pant as key player for England Tests

The five-match Test series between England and India is all set to commence on August 4. Both the teams have top players and there will be a lot of eyes on the visiting skipper Virat Kohli. India’s batting will be under the scanner in testing conditions and Kohli will be keen on breaking his century drought. However, former Australia cricketer Nathan Hauritz feels wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will be a key player for the tourists in the series.

This is the second time, Pant will be playing Tests in England having made his debut in the format during the 2018 tour. He had also made his maiden century in Nottingham in the fifth and final Test of the series. Having performed a match and series winning role in Australia, a lot of cricket analysts are excited to see how he performs in the swinging conditions in England.

Hauritz reckons Rishabh Pant can take the game away from the opposition very quickly with his aggressive batting. He is also impressed with the maturity he has shown at the very early age of his career. “For India, Virat is incredibly important. For England, Joe Root is incredibly important. But I will pick Rishabh Pant. He is so dynamic and so aggressive.

“He holds that lower-order set up and can take the game away from you. He’s going to keep developing as a young cricketer. He is maturing with age. Hope that he can keep learning from his mistakes,” Hauritz said while speaking to Times of India.

Nathan Hauritz predicts a drawn series

Nathan Hauritz feels it will be a closely fought series over the course of five Test matches. While he reckons that England are tough to beat especially at home, even India is playing their best cricket away from home. Hauritz, meanwhile, has predicted a drawn series.

“Hopefully, the weather doesn’t play a part. England are really tough to beat in their own backyard. But India are at their peak. Anything is possible. I predict a drawn series. England’s top-order is really under pressure at the moment and India bowlers can definitely expose them,” Hauritz added.