AUS vs IND: Pat Cummins expecting another closely-fought Test series vs India

AUS vs IND: Australia Test captain Pat Cummins is expecting another closely fought Test series against India. The last time India visited Australia, the series was decided in the final session of the last Test match.

In Short

• India visit Australia in November to play the Border Gavaskar Trophy
• Pat Cummins is expecting another closely fought series vs India
• Cameron Green is likely to miss matches due to back injury

Australia Test captain Pat Cummins is expecting another closely-fought Test series against India in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India are set to travel Down Under to play a 5-match Test series, which might have a major bearing on the World Test Championship finals. India and Australia are favourites for the finals but that might change depending on the results.

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

“The couple of home series I’ve played against India there’s always an element of attrition to them. The last series came down to the last session at the Gabba on the last day of the last Test match. That’s a good thing to keep in mind; it is a long series, and it might be tightly held until the last game, so you’ve got 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 on fast bowling allrounder Cameron Green's injury. Green was recently sidelined from the England white-ball series due to a stress fracture in the back, which could potentially keep him a long time out of cricket.

Cummins said that he was really sympathetic of Green's injury but reminded that fast bowling was fraught with injuries.

“Really sympathetic. We want him bowling, Cam wants to be bowling, and he has a long career ahead of him. So it’s about trying to place Cam the cricketer in the best position he can be to have the career that he’s hoping for. He’s young, so I’m sure he’ll be right in the long run," Cummins said.

“Bowling and trying to bowl fast is unfortunately fraught with injuries. In some ways, the hardest thing is missing cricket and seeing games go by that you could have been part of, but also it can be a pretty lonely way back," he further added.

Cummins himself had spent six years away from Test cricket between his first and second Test match due to multiple back injuries. The fast bowler has now prioritised giving his body rest to keep himself fresh in the longer run.

The first Test match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy starts on November 22.