Pat Cummins has never tasted a Test series victory against India, either on home turf or away and the Australian captain is determined to end that streak and lead his team to a long-awaited triumph on home soil. Having never been part of an Australian squad that defeated India in a Test series, Cummins is eager to tick off what he describes as “one big thing” from his cricketing bucket list.
India and Australia share one of cricket’s most storied rivalries. While Australia dominated the encounters in the 20th century, India has held the upper hand in recent years, winning two consecutive series in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
“It’s kind of the one big thing that I want to tick off,” Cummins said recently. “Particularly winning at home. Most Australians, me included, expect us to do well whenever we play at home. We’ve lost the last two series against them, so this is a big one.”
India’s recent successes Down Under are a testament to their resilience and growing dominance in world cricket. The 2020-21 series was especially memorable, as India overcame significant odds, including being bowled out for a mere 36 in the first Test, to win the series 2-1 under Ajinkya Rahane’s leadership.
This year, the visitors will aim for a historic hat-trick of series wins in Australia under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. Cummins believes his team is well-positioned to challenge India this time around. “We feel like our team’s in a really good place, so we’ve got no reason why we shouldn’t perform really well,” he said.
Australia’s current squad is often compared to the golden era side of the early 2000s, which won a historic series in India. Despite losing two series to India at home and one away last year, the team has had a stellar recent run.
The Australians defeated India in the finals of both the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC). Those wins, coupled with India’s disappointing loss to New Zealand in the ODI World Cup semifinals, could provide a psychological edge.
India remains the only team Australia hasn’t beaten in a Test series, either home or away, in their last 16 series. While players like Steve Smith, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon have experienced series wins over India earlier in their careers, Cummins and much of the current squad are yet to achieve the feat.
Australia is determined to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and cement their place among the greats of the game. For Cummins, the upcoming series represents more than just a chance at redemption-it’s an opportunity to etch his name into cricketing history.
With both teams boasting world-class players and a fierce rivalry, the series promises to be a cricketing spectacle that fans across the globe eagerly await.
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