AUS vs IND: Pat Cummins expects another hard-fought Test series against India

Australia’s Test captain Pat Cummins is looking forward to another hard-fought Test series against India in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India will travel Down Under to play a 5-match Test series, which could have a major bearing on the World Test Championship final. India and Australia are the favorites for the final, but that may change depending on the results.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Cummins said the final Test series in 2020-21 came down to the final session of the final Test match at the Gabba. In this series, Rishabh Pant played a heroic knock to give India a famous series win under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane. In fact, India have won the last two tours outside Australia and have not let Australia lift the BGT trophy in the last decade.

“The couple of home series I’ve played against India there’s always an element of attrition. The last series came down to the last session at the Gabba on the last day of the last Test match. This is a good thing to keep in mind; it’s a long series and it might be tight until the last game, so you have to manage your resources throughout,” Cummins told SMH.

Hayden recalls Rishabh Pant’s Gabba heroics

Cummins on Cam Green’s injury

The captain also opened in the face of injury to bowler Cameron Green. Green was recently dropped from England’s white-ball series due to a stress fracture in his back, which could keep him out of cricket for a long time.

Cummins said he was very sympathetic to Green’s injury, but recalled that fast bowling was fraught with injuries.

“Really nice. We want to bowl him, Cam wants to bowl and he’s got a long career ahead of him. So it’s about trying to put Cam the cricketer in the best position he can have to have the career he wait. He’s young, so I’m sure he’ll be right in the long run,” Cummins said.

“Unfortunately, bowling and trying to bowl fast is fraught with injuries. In some ways, the hardest thing is missing cricket and seeing games go by that you could have been a part of, but it can also be quite a lonely road back,” he to add

Cummins himself had spent six years away from Test cricket between his first and second Test matches due to multiple back injuries. The fast bowler has now prioritized resting his body to stay fresh in the long run.

The first Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy will begin on November 22.