Australia vs India 2018-19: Glenn Maxwell gets 'glued to his TV' whenever Rishabh Pant bats

What's the story?

Indian wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant may have polarised the general public with his ultra-aggressive approach to batting. However, his no-holds-barred stroke-play has gained him an admirer in Australian hard-hitter Glenn Maxwell.

Labelling the 21-year old gloveman as an 'amazing talent', the dynamic right-hander revealed that his eyes remain fixated on TV whenever the young southpaw walks in to bat.

"He's (Pant) an amazing talent. We have only seen him scratch the surface in terms of his ability. I've been glued to my TV every time he's come out to bat ... if he does get going, it's pretty good to watch", Maxwell told reporters on the sidelines of a Big Bash game.

The background

Maxwell and Pant played together for Delhi Daredevils in the 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League. In more ways than one, the left-hander's penchant for big-hitting not only resonated with the seasoned Australian batsman but also managed to leave him in awe as well.

The heart of the matter

Since making his Test debut against England at Trent Bridge, Pant has taken significant strides towards usurping the wicket-keeper's slot from other contenders such as Wriddhiman Saha and Dinesh Karthik.

From seven Tests thus far, Pant has scored 465 runs at an average of 38.75 and strike-rate of 73.22. In the ongoing series against Australia thus far, he has accrued scores of 25, 28, 36 and 30. Maxwell is not surprised about the wicket-keeper batsman's ability to extend his attacking stroke-play from IPL to Test cricket.

Maxwell insisted, "He's (Pant) extremely talented, he played some extraordinary innings for us (Delhi Daredevils) over there. He got an amazing hundred, where he just kept reserve-scooping balls with a straight bat, over third man for six. I think he was a gymnast growing up, so he's extremely flexible. He can manipulate his body into different positions to hit the ball."

What's next?

The third Test match between Australia and India will begin at the MCG on the 26th. With a batting-friendly surface in the offing, the onus is on Pant and the other lower-order batsmen to ensure that the visitors amass big totals.