Test series win against India one big thing that I want to tick off: Pat Cummins

MELBOURNE: Pat Cummins has never been part of a victorious Test series campaign against India, and the Australian captain wants to erase that blemish from his CV during the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting with the first match at Perth from November 22.

Under the leadership of 31-year-old, Australia has won the World Test Championship, the ODI World Cup—both victories coming against India—and the Ashes, yet has never managed to defeat India in a bilateral Test series.

“It’s kind of the one big thing that I want to tick off,” Cummins told AP at the launch of his book.

“Particularly winning at home. Most Australians, me included, expect us to do well whenever we play at home,” added Cummins, a veteran of 62 Tests.

India is the only team Australia has failed to defeat in the last 16 Test series.

Since 2014-15, Australia could not lay its hands on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with India winning four consecutive series including the historic triumphs Down Under in 2018-19 and 2020-21.

“We’ve lost the (last) two series against them (in Australia), so this is a big one. We feel like our team’s in a really good place, so we’ve got no reason why we shouldn’t perform really well.

“I just always expect us to do well against whoever we play. But India, particularly, is a big year, big season,” Cummins said.

India remains the only Asian nation to beat Australia at its home in a Test series but the tourists will be under pressure heading into the marquee tournament, having suffered their first home series loss since 2012 to New Zealand.

To add to its woes, skipper Rohit Sharma and talismanic India batter Virat Kohli are struggling for runs.

“I think any time a team’s under pressure, it’s not a bad thing if you’re playing against them.

“But they’ve been out here before and performed well. Our job is to try and keep them quiet, see how we go.” The five-match series, a part of the World Test Championship, gets underway from November 22 in Perth. Agencies

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