After enduring a busy 18 months on the road, Australia’s Test captain Pat Cummins has decided to take an eight-week break to get fully fit for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The 31-year-old, who recently made his debut in Major League Cricket, will not travel to England for the white-ball series next month. Instead he will use the break to focus on his workload.
Since returning to the fold in the World Test Championship final, Cummins has had a busy calendar that included two white-ball World Cups. He was also part of the All Indian Premier League and with a busy Australian summer ahead, Cummins has opted for rest.
“I’m really sore today after a week of fitness,” Cummins told Fox Cricket. season”, he added.
The upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which spans five Tests for the first time since it was named, is already being tagged as Australia’s biggest challenge against India. Since winning the four-match Test series against India during the 2014/15 season, Australia have not been able to reclaim the BGT. In the four series that followed – including two at home – India won them all by a 2-1 margin.
Having lost two series in a row, injury-hit Australia are expected to pose a stiff challenge to India, who are scheduled to begin the series in Perth on November 22. Not having been part of an Australian team that won the BGT before, Cummins has a chance to change the trend as captain. “It’s the trophy I haven’t won before … it’s the one trophy that a lot of our group hasn’t won,” Cummins said.
India have emerged victorious in the last two Border-Gavaskar series Down Under (File).
“We have achieved some amazing things over the last few years as a test group. Back yourself to win every series at home. I think you should try and be up there in the top team. That’s what awaits us this summer,” added Cummins.
During the 2020/21 series Down Under, Cummins was part of the Australian pace attack, which included Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, who hammered India for 36 all out. However, India overcame the deficit and won two of the next three Tests.
Unfinished business: Lyon
It’s not just Cummins, Australia’s off-spinner Nathan Lyon is trying to get revenge. Lyon, who has been busy playing County cricket for Lancashire, said he is extremely hungry to turn things around this year, having been part of all four losing series.
“It’s been ten years of unfinished business, it’s been a long time and I know we’re extremely hungry to turn things around, especially here at home,” Lyon was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo. “Don’t get me wrong, India are an absolute superstar team and extremely challenging, but I’m extremely hungry to turn things around and make sure we win that trophy back.
With a new batch of players coming in, Lyon believes the current Australian side will be able to turn the tables. “You feel like we’re a different team than we were a few years ago, we’re on a journey to become a great Australian cricket team. We’re definitely not there but we’re on that journey and we’ve played some good cricket.”
As part of his homework, Lyon has been in touch with England left-arm spinner Tom Hartley – who recently toured India – to better understand the current Indian bowlers, particularly Yashasvi Jaiswal.
“I have not met him [Jaiswal] though, but it’s going to be a massive challenge for all of us footballers,” he said. “The way he played against England, I watched it up close and I thought it was pretty amazing. I’ve had some really good chats with Tom Hartley “n the different ways he did it with different guys, which I found pretty interesting,” Lyon added.
India would also play a two-day warm-up game under lights between the first Test in Perth and the second in Adelaide, which would be a day-night contest, at Manuka Oval.
