Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has expressed his admiration for Indian wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant, stating that he wishes Pant was an Australian player. In an interview ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Test series, Marsh praised Pant’s character and competitive spirit.
“He’s a ripping bloke. I wish he was Australian. He’s obviously been through a lot over the last few years, and it’s been a hell of a comeback. He’s a positive guy, still really young, and he loves winning. He’s highly competitive for someone who has the persona of being relaxed and always laughing and smiling. He’s got that big smile,” Marsh said.
Marsh’s teammate Travis Head echoed similar sentiments, describing Pant as “the Indian cricketer I believe is most Australian.” Head highlighted Pant’s aggressive nature and work ethic as qualities that would make him a valuable asset to any team.
Pant responded to the video of the interview on Instagram with a series of emojis, indicating his appreciation for the compliments.
Meanwhile, Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood emphasized that his team would prioritize devising strategies to counter young Indian batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill during the Border-Gavaskar series. Hazlewood acknowledged that Australia has limited experience playing against these players and would need to execute their basics effectively to win the series.
The five-Test Border-Gavaskar series will commence in Perth on November 22, with India aiming to extend their dominance on the prestigious trophy. Australia, on the other hand, will be determined to showcase their bowling might and win it back after successive losses at home in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
