“Against such batters, you need Plan B and C….”: Hazlewood on Pant ahead of Perth Test

Perth [Australia], November 20 (ANI): Ahead of his side’s first Test against India at Perth, Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood said that the team will need a “Plan B and C” to be used against swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant.

The first Test between India and Australia will kickstart from Friday at Perth’s Optus Stadium. Both sides, placed at the top two spots of the ICC World Test Championship points tally will be aiming to make their chances for the final stronger. While India seeks to bounce back after a rare, but humiliating home setback against New Zealand, Australia would be aiming to avoid a hat-trick of series losses to India at home.

Speaking about strategies against Pant in the pre-match presser, Hazlewood said, “For that kind of batters, it is important to have Plan B and C if things go south. It is important to have different plans apart from top of off. We also have players like Travis Head and Mitch Marsh who can take the game away.”

Pant has a fine record against Australia, having made 624 runs in seven Tests at an average of 62.40, with a century and two fifties in 12 innings and best score of 159*.

He also said that Team India has one of the best bench strengths in the world and whoever comes into the team as a replacement for a senior player has earned his stripes.

Speaking about India’s number three batter Shubman Gill’s absence from the match due to a thumb injury, Hazlewood said that while disruption of top six in the batting line-up is an issue, India’s depth and talent will make up for it.

“Obviously that unsettles the top 6 a little bit of an issue but as I said, the depth in Indian cricket is unmatched, perhaps the team with the best depth in the world. Whoever comes in has earned their stripes and will do well no doubt,” said Hazlewood.

Hazlewood also said that India will also miss pace veteran Mohammed Shami, who recently recovered from his ankle injury and took seven wickets during his competitive cricket return in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal. He has not travelled with the team for this Test. But the Aussie quick said that Jasprit Bumrah has taken over Shami’s role well over the years.

“They will miss him. He has played around 60 Tests. He is a senior bowler. Of course, he is someone all the youngsters look up to but Jasprit Bumrah has taken that role over the years. He is also the captain in the first Test maybe and he is someone who players look up to and is the leader of the attack. The depth and talent India have in all facets is unbelievable,” said Hazlewood.

On winning a series against India after 10 years, including two losses at home, Hazlewood said it would be up there with team’s top achievements.

“It is a five-Test series, an added factor. It is going to be more gruelling. If you win a series against India in any part of the world, you know you have earned it. So yeah, it is right up there,” he signed off.

After the series opener in Perth on November 22, the second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10.

Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.

The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne’s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series’ penultimate stage.

The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.

India’s squad for Border-Gavaskar Series: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.

Australia squad for the first Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.