'No one can replace his desire to dominate bowlers' - Ian Chappell on Rishabh Pant's absence from Australia Tests

When Team India plays Australia in a four-match series next month, they will be pushed to their limits in the longest format of the game. India, presently ranked second in the rankings with 58.93 percentage points, will need to win the Test series in order to have a chance of competing in the World Test Championship final, which will take place in June of this year. Australia, on the other hand, has a significant lead and are on top of the table with 75.56 percentage points.

Prior to the series, one of India's most dependable players in the format, Rishabh Pant, suffered serious injuries in a car accident last month. While Pant's life is not in danger, he will need to take a significant amount of time off from cricket due to the head, back, and leg injuries sustained. India have included Ishan Kishan and KS Bharat as backup wicketkeepers for the first two Test matches in place of Pant, but Australia icon Ian Chappell thinks the team will feel Pant’s absence.

“India also have some points to prove, not the least to do with how Pant's replacement performs. The main thing India will lose from Pant's unavailability is an excellent run rate, which came from his belligerent aggression. No one can replace Pant's desire to dominate bowlers, so India have to rely on their top batters not only performing but also maintaining a good strike rate,” Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo.

One of the main tasks for Indian players will be to establish mental superiority over Lyon: Chappell

Chappell believes that the Indian batters, especially senior players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and the seasoned Cheteshwar Pujara will have a big challenge ahead of them as they will have to tackle Nathan Lyon. The Indian pitches being spin-friendly, the Indian batters will face difficulties tackling the Australian spinners.

“One of the main tasks for Indian players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Cheteshwar Pujara will be to establish mental superiority over Lyon. If Australia can't rely on Lyon claiming regular wickets at an acceptable rate, their bowling will then depend greatly on the ‘big three’,” said Chappell.

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