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It's going to get more attritional, says Pat Cummins on eve of five-match series against India
Australian captain Pat Cummins on Thursday said the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against arch-foes India is going to be more "attritional" as the two heavyweights of world cricket will be sparring over five Test matches instead of the traditional four games.
The blockbuster series will be a survival of the fittest as Australia look to avenge successive losses on home soil when they go head-to-head from Friday.
"Border-Gavaskar Trophy has always been very tight every series, five Test-match series gets really attritional, it's a big one really," Cummins said at the pre-match press conference.
The Australia captain admitted there will be pressure on the home team, especially because of the fact that they lost the last four Test series against India, including the two humiliating reverses on their own soil.
"There will always be pressure when you are playing at home. India are a very talented side and it will be a good challenge. But we are not looking too far ahead," Cummins said.
"It would be great to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India are a great side but we are well prepared."
The leading pacer also said said newcomer Nathan McSweeney should not try to imitate David Warner, the legendary opener who retired from international cricket earlier this year.
"He should play his natural game. He shouldn't try to imitate David Warner. That's not his game. As long as he makes the bowlers bowl again and again, that's his game," Cummins said of the man who is going to be handed his Test debut at Optus Stadium.
"Davey is very hard to replace, in many ways. I think the most important thing for someone like Nath, who is coming in, is just to play his own game. He doesn't need to strike it (at), you know, 80 like David did, if that's not his game," Cummins said at the pre-match press conference.
"So for them (McSweeney and Khawaja), I would love to see them bring the best out of each other, they have played a little bit and batted a bit together for Queensland. But yeah, I think for both of them, it's about bringing what they bring to the table."
"You know, for Uzzie, it's about getting the bowlers to come back and back and back again. And I think Nath is pretty similar in that regard," Cummins added.
A big fan of the legendary Ricky Ponting, McSweeney has been tasked to open on his Australia debut despite not being a specialist in that position but he remains unfazed ahead of his big test in the series-opener against India.
McSweeney was picked in the squad for the first Test ahead of regular openers including Marcus Harris.
He got a national call-up following a decent outing against India A earlier this month. He bats at number three in domestic cricket.
He faced the formidable trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in the Australia nets here on Monday and looked in control.
Raised in Brisbane, McSweeney played his junior cricket for Caboolture before graduating to Premier Cricket club Northern Suburbs where he debuted in first grade aged 16.
Asked about India's talented all-rounder Nitish Reddy, Cummins said they shared the dressing room for IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad and praised the 21-year-old.
"He is and impressive youngster. Didn't bowl much for SRH. he can swing the ball and is a really talented kid."
Interestingly, both Australia and India will be led by fast bowling captains, a rarity in international cricket.
While Cummins will lead Australia, Jasprit Bumrah will be in charge of the Indian team as regular skipper Rohit Sharma is currently on a paternity leave.
"It should happen more (pacers leading teams)," Cummins said. In the past four series between the two teams, India have won on all four occasions, including back-to-back away Test series wins in 2018-19 and 2020-21.