Australia skipper Cummins eyes elusive series win against India

MELBOURNE: Captain Pat Cummins has hoisted just about every trophy in cricket as part of dominant Australian teams but wants to tick the last box with a Test series win against India over the next two months.

While celebrating a slew of World Cup wins and Ashes triumphs in recent years, Cummins and a number of his team-mates have known only defeat in the last four Test series against India, at home and away.

“I think for about half the change-room, we haven’t won the Border-Gavaskar (trophy),” the fast bowler told reporters at Perth Stadium on Thursday on the eve of the series-opening Test. “So (it’s) kind of one of the last things to tick off for a lot of us.

“Almost every challenge that we’ve had thrown at us over the last few years, we’ve stepped up and done well.

“To do that for another year, another home summer would kind of cement this. Rather than it’s been a two-or-three season thing, it’s suddenly into a half-generation thing.

“So we’re all excited (having) India right out there …. one of the best teams in the world.”

India will have a different look in this five-Test series to the injury-ravaged squad who claimed a stunning 2-1 win over the Tim Paine-captained Australians in the last tour in 2020-21.

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will captain India in Perth while regular skipper Rohit Sharma takes leave to care for his newborn baby.

Left-handed batsman Devdutt Padikkal is among several new faces in the squad and could be drafted in for his second Test following a thumb injury to Shubman Gill.

Cummins said Australia had made plans for the whole India squad and were not taking any of the newcomers lightly.

“Most of us have played IPL (Indian Premier League) and seen how many newcomers come in and kind of step up straight away,” he said.

“They’re missing a couple of guys we’re more familiar with, but we know whoever they pick is going to be, or they obviously think they’re good enough for Test cricket.”

Australia will also have an unfamiliar look with David Warner not opening the batting.

But while Cummins said the retired Warner was “hard to replace in many ways” he hoped the uncapped Nathan McSweeney and established Usman Khawaja could bring out the best in each other as Australia’s new opening pair and former Queensland team-mates.

“The most important thing for someone like Nathan who’s coming in is just to play his own game,” said Cummins. “He doesn’t need a strike rate of 80 like David did.”

NO BAGGAGE FOR INDIA

Bumrah, meanwhile, insisted Thursday that India were carrying no baggage from their Test whitewash by New Zealand and warned Australia that star batsman Virat Kohli was looking “ominous”.

India head into the first Test on the back of their first home series loss in 12 years.

But speedster Bumrah said they were only looking forward.

“The beauty about cricket is even if you win, you start from zero, and even if you lose you start from zero,” he told reporters. “So that’s how I look at the game.

“Obviously, yes, we were disappointed and we were down that we had a tough series (against New Zealand).

“But we are not carrying any baggages. We come with a fresh mindset, different opposition and you learn from the changes that have happened in our team.”

With Sharma out, K.L. Rahul or Abhimanyu Easwaran are in line to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, while there are doubts over Gill.

Their bowling line-up is also unclear. Bumrah said India had settled on who would partner him in the attack, but he would wait until the toss to reveal all.

Kohli is certain to play, but will pad up under increasing scrutiny after managing only two Test centuries in the last five years and averaging just 15 against New Zealand.

Despite signs that one of the world’s greatest batsmen may be past his best at 36, Bumrah cautioned that Kohli should never be written off.

Kohli has a stellar record in Australia, averaging 54.08.

“He is one of the greats of the game,” said Bumrah. “He’s the utmost professional that we have in our team. He’s got a lot of success.

“Okay, one or two series here and there can go up and down, but the confidence that he has at this moment, I have no doubts.

“He’s looking to contribute. And the way I’ve seen him at training … the signs are ominous.”

With Bumrah taking the armband, the first Test will have two fast bowlers captaining their teams, with Cummins in charge of Australia.

Bumrah said he was determined to do the job his way.

“I love responsibility. I wanted to do the tough job since I was a child,” he said. “I’ve never followed a copybook plan … I’ve never followed a model and I go with my instincts and that’s how I’ve always played my cricket.

“I have a lot of faith in my instincts and gut,” he added.

Published in Dawn, November 22th, 2024