Pat Cummins’ is a side of world-beaters. And the loss at Jamtha against India is just a minor setback for the top-ranked Test team. The defeat may have been heavy – by an inning and 132 runs – but Australia knows how to take it all in its stride.
The skipper exudes calm when seated at the press conference. He divulges what Australia has planned for the upcoming games.
“That (the loss) will be the review for the next few days. I think the challenge is to be brave enough under the furnace and be proactive. There will be conversations over the next couple of days.
“We’ve had a really good run over the last 12 months. There haven’t been many losses. In that changing room, I don’t think we need to reinvent the wheel. It’s just tweaking different approaches to how we play and maybe particular methods,” Cummins said.
When asked about the availability of pacers Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and all-rounder Cameron Green for the upcoming Delhi Test next Friday, the 29-year-old says, “Starcy lands today or tomorrow in Delhi. Joshy’s getting up and running now, he’s pretty close, but I don’t think he’ll be quite ready for Delhi. Greeny’s a bit of a wait-and-see, still hoping. He’s had a couple of good hits out here. He’s bowling pretty well. We’ll assess it over the next couple of days.”
A few jaws dropped when Travis Head’s name wasn’t found on the starting sheet in Nagpur. Head, if included, would have been coming on the back of a brilliant home series against the West Indies and South Africa.
He amassed 525 runs in the home Test summer at a mighty average of 87.50, becoming the first Australia batter to breach the 500-run mark. Cummins explained the selection, saying, “We were confident it was our best XI this week.
Australia lost all its wickets in one session to lose by an inning and 132 runs in te first test against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
We know the quality Trav is, he’s a huge part of this team but we were confident in the 11 guys out there. He’s been really good around the group. He’s been out at the back working really hard on his game like he always does.”
When asked again about the final session, the one where Australia collapsed like a house of cards in mere 131 minutes, Cummins said the team needs to come up with a plan to avoid similar instances. “Playing in India, the game really speeds up. It’s a good thing if you’re on top. If you’re behind, it can be really challenging.
I thought all their bowlers bowled really well. Really put the pressure on us and next time we’ve got to find a way to manage that.” Australia was bundled out for a paltry 91 – its lowest away total against India - in a second inning that ended before tea could be taken on day three. The host won by an inning and 132 runs.
Before signing off, Cummins couldn’t help but praise Ravindra Jadeja (22-8-47-5 & 12-3-34-2) and Ravichandran Ashwin (15.5-2-42-3 & 12-3-37-5) for their game-changing returns.
“Two masters of their craft, fresh legs, they bowled really well. In saying that I don’t think much is going to change in the next couple of games. That’s what we’re going to come against so we have to find better methods.”
As the second Test beckons, all Cummo can think of is how to give himself and his team the best chance to emerge from the lows. “Think sometimes it’s easier to put behind you those kinds of losses. You are looking at small margins, you have to have a hard look at your game and the big strides you need to change next week.”
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