With his anticipation for his strategy with bouncers, Australia’s captain Pat Cummins speaks outright towards any such bombardment of short-pitched bowling their way in the test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. After testing the capriciousness of the Indian batsmen in the last test using bouncers, Cummins hinted that Australia might continue the use of the bouncers at the historic Gabba.
Most experts slammed Cummins for his poor show during the first Test, which India won by an emphatic margin of 295 runs. Yet, Adila brought his game back on track through bouncers, resulting in a five-for coming on him in the second innings of the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. Cummins bent over backward to rake up the Indian batters’ helmets and picked them out for 175 in their second innings. After Mitchell Starc swung his way to six wickets in the first innings, Cummins rattled the Indian side with his pace and bounce.
“Yes, potentially,” Cummins said when asked if India could expect more bouncers in the third Test. The Australian captain was addressing the media at the Gabba on Friday — the eve of the Brisbane battle.
“It worked out in the Adelaide Test. It’s always in the back of your mind as a bit of a Plan B, or if it’s looking really uncomfortable and likely to take wickets, maybe it comes with Plan A for some of the batters.
“It worked with Adelaide, so I’m sure we’ll give it a shot at some point this Test,” he added.
In fact, it was a poor show with the bat that allowed India to level with Australia 1-1. While the stars fell one by one, starting with two mythical greats of the game Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to some seam or swing, many fell to the sharp entrance of several more deliveries.
Cummins also commented on the story of the Gabba pitch in the coming days. The chief of Australia explained that it would not be as lively in reputation as its current sunnier Brisbane weather will affect how it will behave in the coming days.
“I looked at it yesterday-and it was looking like a good wicket, like how it has looked in the last few years,” Cummins said .
A bit of sun baking it the last couple of days (means) I don’t think its as green and leafy as it was against South Africa,” he added.
Unbeaten at the Gabba for 33 years, it took India to end this streak in 2021. Earlier, Australia itself during the year fell to West Indies in a pink-ball Test at the same venue-the similarity here being that both defeats came in January, towards the end of the Australian summer.
Referring to the phenomenon of sheltered pre-Christmas Tests at Gabba, Cummins said: “it’s a bit more humid and hotter in January. Joshy Hazlewood always has some theories, saying January’s is hotter and sweatier. Honestly, I can’t remember much.”
Australia announced a change to their XI for the Gabba Test, recalling an illness-free Josh Hazlewood to take the place of Scott Boland.
