Australia's captain Pat Cummins addresses the media during a press conference. — AFP
Pat Cummins, the Australian cricket team captain, has lifted nearly every major trophy in the sport as part of his team's dominant run, but he is eager to secure the final accolade with a Test series victory against India over the next two months. Despite a series of World Cup and Ashes triumphs in recent years, Cummins and several of his teammates have only known defeat in the last four Test series against India, both at home and away.
"I think for about half the team, we haven't won the Border-Gavaskar (trophy)," the fast bowler shared with reporters at Perth Stadium on Thursday, 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." He added, "Almost every challenge that we've had thrown at us over the last few years, we've stepped up and done well." Cummins believes that another successful year, especially during the home summer, would solidify their achievements, making it more than just a two-or-three season phenomenon but a lasting legacy.
India will present a different challenge in this five-Test series compared to the injury-plagued squad that secured a remarkable 2-1 victory over the Tim Paine-led Australians in the previous tour in 2020-21. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will lead India in Perth, with regular captain Rohit Sharma taking a break to care for his newborn child. Left-handed batsman Devdutt Padikkal is among several new faces in the squad and could make his second Test appearance following a thumb injury to Shubman Gill.
Cummins noted that Australia has prepared for the entire Indian squad and is not underestimating any of the newcomers. "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 feature a new look with David Warner not opening the batting. Cummins acknowledged that Warner's retirement is "hard to replace in many ways," but he is hopeful that the uncapped Nathan McSweeney and established Usman Khawaja can complement each other as Australia's new opening pair and former Queensland teammates. "The most important thing for someone like Nathan who's coming in is just to play his own game," Cummins advised. "He doesn't need a strike rate of 80 like David did."
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