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Australia’s captain Pat Cummins has outlined his team's strategy to face India's aggressive wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.

In the five-match Test series, Cummins emphasized that Pant’s attacking approach poses a significant challenge, but Australia is determined to contain him.

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How does Rishabh Pant's aggressive style impact the game?

Rishabh Pant’s return to Test cricket has already made headlines, with his century in the recent Test against Bangladesh in Chennai.

Known for his fearless batting, Pant's style can dramatically shift the momentum of a match, especially in a format like Test cricket.

Pat Cummins acknowledged this when speaking about the trend of aggressive batting in modern-day Test matches. He mentioned Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh as the Australian equivalents of Pant

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"Look I think every team has one or two of those players who can take the game on. We have got Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh as those guys. I think with those guys, you know that they are going to be aggressive. If you miss your area a little but, they are going to take the game on," Cummins said.

What are Australia's plans for handling Rishabh Pant in BGT?

While Pant's aggressive shots, Cummins insisted that Australia has learned to anticipate such unconventional plays.

"Someone like Rishabh (Pant), he might play a reverse lap, and it's an incredible shot. That's just part of who he is. I think we have become a bit more accustomed to it nowadays when some of those ridiculous shots are a bit more common," Cummins noted.

According to him, Pant’s ability to influence matches significantly makes it essential for the Aussies to find a way to keep him quiet during the series.

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"He is someone who has had a big influence on a couple of series. We're going to try and keep him quiet," he added.

How has Pant fared in the previous BGT series?

Pant's record in Australia speaks volumes about his talent. In the 2018-19 series, Pant emerged as the second-highest run-getter for India, scoring 350 runs in 4 Tests at an average of 58.33, including an unbeaten 159*.

He followed that with another standout performance in the 2020-21 series, where he contributed 274 runs at an impressive average of 68.50. His 89* at the Gabba remains one of his most memorable innings, as it sealed a historic win for India in Australia.

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Saurav Goyal is a content producer for The Sporting News’ India edition.