Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25: Rishabh Pant Hits The Nets In Perth, India Set to Face Australia In Series Opener

Star wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant begins practice at Perth's WACA Ground ahead of India's Border-Gavaskar Trophy clash against Australia, starting November 22.

Rishabh Pant

Star India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant reached the WACA Ground in Perth to start off his practice sessions ahead of the highly-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia on Tuesday.

The star batter will be once again in action on the Australian soil when India plays the first Test at Optus Stadium in Perth from November 22 onwards. Pant took to his Instagram and shared a picture of the iconic venue.

The swashbuckling wicketkeeper has a fine record against Australia. In seven Tests against Aussies, all of them played on Australian soil, he has scored 624 runs in 12 innings at an average of 62.40 and a strike rate of 72.13, with a century and two fifties to his name and the best score of 159.

Pant's previous trip to Australia for a Test series back in 2020-21 marked a turning point of his Test career. With his stunning counter-attacks and clutch knocks, he established himself as India's premier Test batter. He was India's top run-getter and overall third-highest, with 274 runs in five innings across three matches at an average of 68.50, with two career-defining fifties.

His 97 during a chase of 407 runs at Sydney in third Test, which ended in a draw and an unbeaten 89* which helped chase down 328 runs and ended Australia's supremacy at The Gabba stadium in Brisbane of over 32 years are two of his finest knocks in long format that have contributed in him becoming such a highly rated batter.

After making his comeback to Test cricket following a life-threatening road accident back in 2022-end, Pant displayed sensational form during five-match home Test season against Bangladesh and New Zealand, scoring 422 runs in 10 innings at an average of 46.88, with a strike rate of over 86. He has scored a century and three fifties in five matches, with best score of 109.

With a 3-0 series whitewash against New Zealand at home, India need to win the series by 4-0 to punch their ticket to feature in London for the WTC final for the third successive time directly.

After the conclusion series opener in Perth, 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.