As his leadership faces its first overseas test, Pat Cummins is bracing himself for a change in the speed of Test cricket on the Pakistan trip, as his team sees reverse swing as a vital ingredient with the bat.
England’s batting weakness, several well-grassed wickets, and Australia’s bowling power resulted in some short fielding periods during the last Ashes – England were bowled out in less than 70 overs five times.
While this meant that the bowlers weren’t overworked, it also meant that Cummins didn’t have to think outside the box as captain. When England came back from nine down on the last day of the match in Sydney, Cummins was criticised for declaring.
It is unknown what condition the pitches will be in for the three tests next month. Since the format came back to Pakistan in 2019, the longest innings has lasted 131 overs, and five teams have been bowled out in less than 70 overs. But Cummins is excited about the chance to put his skills to the test.
“It presents a unique challenge in comparison to the cricket we’ve gotten used to playing in Australia,” he said. “I’m sure there will be moments when I’ll have to be more creative, try a few new things, and be daring, and I’m looking forward to that challenge.”
“We have no idea what to anticipate over there. Subcontinent Tests may be played swiftly or slowly, but for a large portion of our group, we haven’t played much cricket outside of the country, and if we want to be No. 1 in the world, we need to perform well on these subcontinent trips.“
Cummins highlighted the speed statistics from previous Tests in Pakistan, and Australia would undoubtedly feel well-positioned in circumstances that favoured the quicks. During the pre-tour camp in Melbourne, a lot of attention was paid to reverse swing, even though it wasn’t a big deal in the Ashes series.
“It’s taught us not to anticipate the same spin-friendly subcontinent conditions that we’ve seen on previous Indian or Sri Lanka trips,” he said. “It seems as if the fast bowlers have performed well, and they have a very good pace bowling lineup. We believe that the team we have covers all bases and that we are really comfortable if we want more spinners or fast bowlers.
“A lot of the time the ball reverse swings, so we didn’t get to see that much this summer with grassy wickets and short games, but over there it can be a genuine weapon, so we’re working on that.” We haven’t bowled much reverse swing in the previous year or two, but it’s a significant issue heading into the subcontinent. “
The leadership tandem with Steven Smith also seems to be a critical component of Australia’s preparations for the series, with Cummins drawing on Smith’s past subcontinent experience as a batsman and captain. While Smith was in charge of the Ashes, Cummins could not play because of a COVID-19 close contact injury.
“There is a lot of material that I will be sifting through and attempting to elicit assistance from,” Cummins said. “I think I’m very lucky to have someone like Smithy, who has not only led in India but has also played on the subcontinent a lot.”
Australia has not won a Test series in Asia since defeating Sri Lanka in 2011 and has won only three matches in the last decade.
