The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has always been a platform for competitive and on-field chit-chat. Indian and Australian players are quite known for their chirping, trying to put their opponents off guard. The ongoing first Test in Perth, which began on Friday, continued in this tradition.
One of the notable exchanges between the two teams came in the form of light banter between Aussie spinner Nathan Lyon and Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, caught over the stump mic.
Present at the crease: Pant, who shared a friendly fist-bump with Mitchell Marsh upon arriving at the crease—both having played for the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL)—soon found himself engaged in a cheeky conversation with Lyon.
Pant’s Viral Response
The highlight of Day 1 came when Lyon, during a break in play, approached Pant with a playful question about the upcoming IPL auction, scheduled for November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Referring to Pant’s inclusion in the auction pool after not being retained by Delhi Capitals, Lyon quipped, “Where we going in the auction?”
Watch the vidoe here:
SOUND 🔛 Just two old friends meeting! 😁🤝
Don’t miss this stump-mic gold ft. 𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗕𝗛-𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜! 🤭
📺 #AUSvINDOnStar 👉 1st Test, Day 1, LIVE NOW! #AUSvIND #ToughestRivalry pic.twitter.com/vvmTdJzFFq
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 22, 2024
Pant, known for his quick wit, simply replied, “No idea.” The brief yet amusing exchange, picked up by the stump mic, quickly went viral on social media, earning laughs and admiration from cricket fans worldwide.
Pant has been declared at a base price of INR 2 crore for the IPL mega auction and is named in the highly prized Marquee Set 1. So, with several franchises more likely to be interested in the dynamic wicket-keeper batter, Pant’s response has fans speculating over his likely destination.
India’s Batting Woes On Day 1
While Pant’s banter provided a light moment, India’s performance with the bat was far from cheerful. India’s stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, leading in the absence of Rohit Sharma, won the toss and chose to bat. However, India’s top order faltered, leaving the team reeling early. Australia bundled out India for mere 150 runs.
Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Devdutt Padikkal were caught before they could even get their shoes wet, and Virat Kohli added only 5 runs. KL Rahul, who looked steady, was dismissed for 26, after a questionable third-umpire decision, but Dhruv Jurel and Washington Sundar failed to make any impression.
Rishabh Pant fought bravely with a score of 37, but the wicket for Australian skipper Pat Cummins just ended him. Debutants Nitish Kumar Reddy and Nitish Rana try to inject fresh energy into the team while Australia brings in Nathan McSweeney to their XI.
