When it comes to bowling to Rishabh Pant, veteran Australian spinner Nathan Lyon believes there is no margin for error since the young Indian wicketkeeper-batter has an incredible amount of talent that can tame the greatest attack on the planet.
The Indian batting lineup for the forthcoming five-Test Border-Gavaskar series, which kicks off in Perth on November 22, will undoubtedly feature Pant.
After almost 21 months away from the game due to a near-fatal automobile accident in December 2022, Pant, 26, has returned to Test cricket. In the first Test held in Chennai, he crushed a century against Bangladesh.
“You’re bowling against someone like Rishabh Pant, who is electric. He’s got all the skills in the world,” Lyon, who has snared 530 Test scalps and will be expected to play a key role in the series against India, told Star Sports.
“As a bowler, your room for error is so small. So, you’ve got to be good. It’s a challenge as a bowler if I’m going to get hit for six,” added the 36-year-old Lyon.
In the last two Test series against Australia, Pant has been outstanding, amassing 624 runs at an average of 62.40 in 12 innings, including two half-tons and a century with the highest score of 159 not out.
Australia lost their first Test match at the Brisbane venue in thirty-two years as the wicketkeeper-batter hit an unbeaten 89 in the second innings. Meanwhile, India won the series 2-1 to keep the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Lyon promised to try to put Pant under pressure and force a few errors from him.
“I’m not afraid of getting hit for a six. The challenge is that I can provide the batters and try and keep someone like Rishabh in his crease and potentially try and get him to defend me a lot more… and, hopefully, bring a couple of chances along the way.”
