Ricky Ponting backs Pant and Smith to be top scorers in Australia vs India Tests

Legendary Australia captain Ricky Ponting has backed Rishabh Pant and Steve Smith to be the top run scorers of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

In Short

• India and Australia are set to lock horns in five match Test series
• Rishabh Pant has been in terrific form since his comeback
• Steve Smith boasts a stellar record against India

Legendary Australia cricketer Ricky Ponting has backed Rishabh Pant and Steve Smith are going to be the top two run scorers of the upcoming Test series between India and Australia. Notably, the two teams are all set to lock horns in a five-match series beginning from November 22. Ahead of the series, there have been widespread discussions about who could be the top performers of the blockbuster encounter between the two Test heavyweights.

Ponting has also weighed in his opinion on the matter and feels Pant and Smith are going to battle against each other to emerge as the most prolific batter in the five-match rubber. The former Australia captain feels Smith being pushed down to number four is going to do wonders for his batting as he’s got a point to prove. Smith has a stellar record against India having scored 2042 runs at an average of 65.87 with nine hundreds and five fifties to his name.

"Leading run scorer, I'm going to go - Steve Smith or Rishabh Pant. I think Smith, the fact that he's moved back down from opener to No.4 probably makes it feel like he's got more of a point to prove...that maybe he shouldn't have gone up to open in the first place and that No.4 is his spot and where he should have probably been the whole time and where he probably finished his career now," said Ponting on The ICC Review.

Further speaking ahead, Ponting mentioned how Pant could be dangerous batting the middle order after the ball loses its shine and hardness.

Pant's stellar record in Australia

"With Rishabh back in the side and probably coming into bat in the middle order when the ball's probably lost a bit of its shine and a bit of its hardness and the form that he's in, I'll go for him as one of the leading run scorers as well," he added.

Ever since his comeback to Test cricket, Pant has been in terrific form having accumulated 422 runs from five matches at an average of 46.88 and a strike rate of 86.47 with one hundred and three fifties to his name. The India star also loves batting in Australia boasting a magnificent average of 62.40 in the country after scoring 624 runs from 12 innings with one hundred and two 80+ scores. The wicketkeeper batter will be eager to once again shine with the bat and help India win their third consecutive series down under.