'Australian Public Loves Pant'; Hayden Praises 2020-21 BGT Hero

The Indian Cricket Team is set to tour Australia after a two-year hiatus for the historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy in December. Discussions about the tour are already a hot topic among cricket enthusiasts, including former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden, who has been reminiscing about moments from India's previous tour of Australia.

The BCCI and Cricket Australia have announced the schedule for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, which will feature a five-match Test series, an increase from the previous four-match format.

Before heading to Australia, India will host Bangladesh and New Zealand, but the focus remains firmly on the Australian tour. The high standards set by the Indian team during their last tour of Australia have left a lasting impression.

As the defending champions of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India is set to compete in what is arguably the most anticipated international bilateral series of the calendar year: the Australia vs. India Test series.

The 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, hosted by Australia, saw India secure a historic 2-1 series victory. Just two years later, India repeated their success with another 2-1 win in Australia, despite fielding an inexperienced side. Now, India is on the cusp of achieving a hat-trick of away Border-Gavaskar Trophy series wins.

The 2020-21 series holds a special place for Indian cricket fans, particularly due to the dramatic victory at the Gabba, Australia's fortress. Rishabh Pant's aggressive batting was pivotal, especially in the final Test, where he scored an unbeaten 89 to lead India to a memorable triumph.

Former Australian batter Matthew Hayden expressed his interest in seeing how Pant performs in the upcoming series and how India's batters, in general, will approach the formidable Australian bowling attack.

In the CEAT Cricket Awards, Hayden said, "Guys like Rishabh Pant have got a muscle memory and the thirst for victory. He was such a key player last time he played there and the Australian public loved him as well, because of the nature of the way he played his game."

He also praised Rishabh's innovation and aggressive approach. He added, "It was exciting. It was innovative. It was just fresh and good. Then you have got your old stewards, like Virat Kohli, (he) will want to make an impression again. From a batting point of view, I'm excited to see how India have that strategy to take on the Australian conditions."

The 2018/19 series marked a historic first, as Australia lost a Test series at home to an Asian side for the first time. This series occurred shortly after the infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal, which ruled out key players Steve Smith and David Warner from participating.

In the 2020/21 series, the situation was reversed in terms of team personnel. Despite Australia fielding a full-strength squad throughout, they lost the series again. India, meanwhile, faced significant setbacks, especially after a crushing defeat in the first Test where they were bowled out for just 36 runs in their second innings and lost by 10 wickets.

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Source- Hindustan Times