Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins, who has already claimed major victories including the ODI World Cup, the Ashes, and the Test Championship, is now setting his sights on one final goal: winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India. Despite a tough loss in the first Test, Cummins remains hopeful that his team can turn things around and secure the prestigious series this time.
Cummins made his Test debut in 2011 and faced India for the first time in a Test match in 2017. Since 2014-15, Australia has not won a series against India, whether at home or away, making the upcoming series even more crucial for the team. Despite their heavy defeat in Perth last month, Cummins is determined to break this long-standing streak.
“For half of the change room, we haven't won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It’s one last thing to tick off for a lot of us,” Cummins said, emphasizing the team's determination to claim the elusive title. He added that the team had stepped up to challenges over the years, and now, this series against India is one that they are focused on winning.
Ahead of the second Test in Adelaide, Cummins acknowledged that the lack of a series victory against India has now stretched across nearly a generation. Several current Australian players, including Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Marsh, and Nathan Lyon, were part of the 2014-15 squad that secured a 2-0 win. Since then, India has dominated the series, winning both home and away in recent years.
When asked about the pressure of reclaiming the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Cummins was quick to respond, saying, “I don’t think it’s pressure. You are playing at home and you want to do well. We know they (India) are a really strong side and a lot of us were part of those recent three series defeats.”
Cummins is focused on the present and not dwelling on past results, stressing that every summer, the team aims to perform well against India. He reiterated the importance of the current series and the desire to finally win the trophy that has eluded Australia for nearly a decade.
