Former Australian cricketer Ian Chappell believes that India’s national cricket team will be significantly impacted by the absence of Rishabh Pant due to his injuries from a car crash. “The main thing India will lose from Pant’s unavailability is an excellent run rate, which came from his belligerent aggression. No one can replace Pant’s desire to dominate bowlers, so India have to rely on their top batters not only performing but also maintaining a good strike rate,” Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo.
Pant, who is considered one of India’s most consistent performers in the Test format, sustained injuries to his head, back, and leg. Ishan Kishan and KS Bharat have been named as replacements for the first two Tests in the upcoming series against Australia. Chappell praised Pant’s “desire to dominate bowlers” and emphasized that no other batter can replicate that. He also noted that India will miss Pant’s excellent run rate and urged India’s top batters to maintain a good strike rate to compensate for his absence.
“India also have some points to prove, not the least to do with how Rishabh Pant’s replacement performs. The main thing India will lose from Pant’s unavailability is an excellent run rate, which came from his belligerent aggression. No one can replace Pant’s desire to dominate bowlers, so India have to rely on their top batters not only performing but also maintaining a good strike rate,” Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo.
India will have to establish mental superiority- Ian Chappel
Chappell also laid out a task for India’s top players, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Cheteshwar Pujara, to establish mental superiority over Australian spinner Nathan Lyon in order to be successful in the series. He mentioned, “One of the main tasks for Indian players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Cheteshwar Pujara will be to establish mental superiority over Lyon. If Australia can’t rely on Lyon claiming regular wickets at an acceptable rate, their bowling will then depend greatly on the “big three””.
