Australia skipper Pat Cummins
Australia skipper Pat Cummins

Ahead of the third Test of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India at the Gabba, Australia captain Pat Cummins stated that winning a Test match on Australian soil is a source of pride. The third Test of the series will commence on December 14 at the Brisbane Cricket Ground. Following a devastating 295-run defeat to the visitors at Perth’s Optus Stadium, when Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Yashasvi Jaiswal delivered exceptional performances, the hosts recovered well.

The series is now tied at 1-1, with the following match taking place at “The Gabba,” where an inexperienced Indian side handed Australia its first Test loss in over 32 years during the 2020-21 trip.

I believe there is great pride in winning in Australia. These are the conditions in our home. We grew up playing in these settings. I believe that winning Test Series away from home is the most difficult task in cricket nowadays. To win the World Test Championship, you’ve had to win everything at home and try to pick up some wins abroad if possible.

 We go into every home series expecting to win. That’s what we grew up watching, and those are the expectations we set for ourselves,” Cummins remarked at the pre-match press conference. Furthermore, the 31-year-old discussed his plans to bowl bouncers at Indian hitters because the surface will benefit their bowlers.

Yes, potentially. It worked out during the Adelaide Test. It’s always in the back of your mind as a backup plan, or if it looks extremely unpleasant and likely to take wickets, it could be Plan A for some of the hitters,” Cummins said.

The captain then praised Travis Head’s batting style and Mitchell Marsh’s mindset. “I think everyone approaches things a little differently. Trav and Mitch are natural shotmakers. That is how they go about it. You know, a handful of the other guys may have skimmed the cat a little differently, especially here at the Gabba.