IND vs AUS: Men in Blue had a strong start in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by winning two straight matches. But the Indian side was brutally challenged by Steve Smith-led Australia in the third Test in Indore, where the hosts lost by nine wickets. Former Australian cricketer Ian Chappell shared his views on the matter and felt the team sorely miss the services of Rishabha Pant. The left-handed wicketkeeper batter still recovering from his tragic car accident and is expected to be sidelined for much of 2023. Follow India vs Australia LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN.
- Former Australian captain Ian Chappell believes Rishabh Pant’s absence is the biggest reason for India’s loss.
- India lost the Third Test match in Indore by 9 wickets.
- Pant is still recovering from his tragic car accident.
IND vs AUS: ‘Rishabh Pant’s absence big difference,’ ex-Australia captain Ian Chappell says India keeper huge MISS after Indore Test mauling – Check out
Former Australian captain Ian Chappell believes that the absence of Rishabh Pant was the biggest difference in the third Test match. Chappell said, “One of the greats. The difference is that there is no Rishabh Pant on this Indian side. They’ve started to see how important Rishabh Pant is to the Indian team.”
In the third Test match at Indore, it is expected that spin-friendly conditions will favor India but it was completely reversed. The process began when India went on strike. However, Rohit Sharma and company could not resist Australia’s spinning attack as the innings fell to 109, followed by Australia, who scored 156/4 right on the opening day to take a crucial 47-run lead.
The Australians continued their momentum the next day, extending their lead to 88 runs. India then tries to fight back, Cheteshwar Pujara mainly staging a lone fight as the hosts could score only 163 in the second inning. Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne then countered Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to end the match in the first session of Day 3.
IND vs AUS: ‘Rishabh Pant’s absence big difference’ Former Australian captain Ian Chappell believes India keeper huge miss in Indore Test mauling – Check out
The loss revealed the Indian batsman’s weakness, particularly in the first two innings. Virat Kohli had 22 runs in the first inning and was the team’s top scorer, while Pujara’s 59 runs saved the hosts from humiliation.
Pant has yet to make a name for himself in white ball cricket, but Delhi’s wicketkeeper already has done his mark in the longer format. In the previous Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Pant finished as the top scorer for the Indian team, amassing 274 runs in five innings. Pant didn’t score a century back then, but his 97-run knockout in Sydney followed by an unbeaten 89 at the Gabba is still etched in the minds of most Indian cricket fans.
In the absence of Rishabh Pant, management gave KS Bharat the chance to fill an important post. But the results were far from desirable. With a chance over Ishan Kishan, Bharat managed to score just 57 runs in five innings at an average of 14.25.
Meanwhile, victory secured Australia a place in the much-anticipated final of the World Test Championships to be held at the Oval in June. India is hoping for a positive test result in Ahmedabad which will help Rohit and the company qualify for the WTC finals.
IND vs AUS: ‘Rishabh Pant’s absence big difference’ Former Australian captain Ian Chappell believes India keeper huge miss in Indore Test mauling – Check out
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