Australia skipper Cummins eyes elusive series win against India

MELBOURNE:Captain Pat Cummins has hoisted just about every trophy in cricket as part of dominant Australian teams but wants to tick the last box with a Test series win against India over the next two months.

While celebrating a slew of World Cup wins and Ashes triumphs in recent years, Cummins and a number of his teammates have known only defeat in the last four Test series against India, at home and away.

“I think for about half the change-room, we haven’t won the Border-Gavaskar (trophy),” the fast bowler told reporters at Perth Stadium on Thursday on 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.

“Almost every challenge that we’ve had thrown at us over the last few years, we’ve stepped up and done well. “To do that for another year, another home summer would kind of cement this. Rather than it’s been a two-or-three season thing, it’s suddenly into a half-generation thing.

“So we’re all excited (having) India right out there .... one of the best teams in the world.” India will have a different look in this five-test series to the injury-ravaged squad who claimed a stunning 2-1 win over the Tim Paine-captained Australians in the last tour in 2020-21.

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will captain India in Perth while regular skipper Rohit Sharma takes leave to care for his newborn baby. Lefthanded batsman Devdutt Padikkal is among several new faces in the squad and could be drafted in for his second test following a thumb injury to Shubman Gill.

Cummins said Australia had made plans for the whole India squad and were not taking any of the newcomers lightly. “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 have an unfamiliar look with David Warner not opening the batting.

But while Cummins said the retired Warner was “hard to replace in many ways” he hoped the uncapped Nathan McSweeney and established Usman Khawaja could bring out the best in 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,” said Cummins. “He doesn’t need a strike rate of 80 like David did.”