One of Team India’s most-awaited Test assignments begins in November when the side tours Australia for a five-match Border-Gavaskar series. The Rohit Sharma-led side will be aiming to clinch a hat-trick of series wins Down Under; India had defeated Australia in four Tests in the 2018/19 and 2020/21 tours. However, with the addition of another Test, the upcoming series will be all the more challenging for Rohit and co.
This will be Pat Cummins’ first Test series as captain against India on home soil; Cummins’ has enjoyed significant success against the Indian team as the Australian skipper, inflicting double heartbreaks on the side in the tournament finals in 2023. The Cummins-led Australia defeated India in the final of the World Test Championship, and then beat Rohit Sharma’s men in the ODI World Cup title clash in November later in the year.
One of Team India’s most-awaited Test assignments begins in November when the side tours Australia for a five-match Border-Gavaskar series. The Rohit Sharma-led side will be aiming to clinch a hat-trick of series wins Down Under; India had defeated Australia in four Tests in the 2018/19 and 2020/21 tours. However, with the addition of another Test, the upcoming series will be all the more challenging for Rohit and co.
This will be Pat Cummins’ first Test series as captain against India; Cummins’ has enjoyed significant success against the Indian team as the Australian skipper, inflicting double heartbreaks on the side in the tournament finals in 2023. The Cummins-led Australia defeated India in the final of the World Test Championship, and then beat Rohit Sharma’s men in the ODI World Cup title clash in November later in the year.|#+|
However, Cummins acknowledges the Indian challenge ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and made a rather cheeky remark when asked about what he would expect from surfaces as Australia hosts India. During an interview with The Grade Cricketer, Cummins, pointing out to the bushy plants behind the interviewer, hilariously stated that he would like the pitches to be prepared in similar manner.
“I wish, if I had my way, the pitches would be looking like those bushes behind you (laughs),” said Cummins.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have any say so we will wait and see. Last couple of seasons, the wickets have been awesome. It feels like if someone has scored a hundred, they have batted the house down. Taken them a few sessions whereas my first couple of years, some of those wickets were so flat.”
Hoping for balance
Cummins stated he hopes for an equal competition between the bat and ball; he also recalled Australia’s Test tour of India in 2023, where the side faced a 1-2 series defeat.
“I just hope there is a bit of balance between bat and ball. I think some of those Indian spinning wickets as well, I think that last tour, Delhi we should have won, it just get the teams close to each other if you get the wickets like that, but you don’t listen to our players complaining about those types of wickets,” said the Aussie skipper.
