Australia’s captain Pat Cummins reacts after bowling a delivery during play on the third day of the fourth cricket test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
With Australia winning the Boxing Day Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India on Tuesday at MCG, Pat Cummins led Australian team edged an inch closer to a spot in the World Test Championship final. While the hosts have not won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since 2015, Cummins rates Tuesday’s win as ‘little bit bigger’.
“Oh yeah, it’s big, and I think add in the extra layer. You know, we still need another win or so to get into that World Championship final. So you know, every win is massive but this one feels a little bit bigger. So yeah, pretty happy changing room at the moment” Cummins told ABC Sport Grandstand post the win.
On the day, which started with Australia starting their second innings at an overnight total of 229 for 9, the hosts finished the innings at 234 setting India a target of 340 runs. At the end, Australia won the match by 184 runs. When asked about Australian team management thoughts last evening about Tuesday morning’s initial hours in play, Cummins shared the team’s thought process of pushing and taking few risks. “We had a little bit of extra time today. I think, you know the wicket was a very good wicket. So I think both team bowled outstandingly, actually made the wicket look probably a little worse than it was. We felt like we were at the front. This morning, we thought if we bowl well for the first couple of hours, then we can really push and hit a few helmets and take a few risks,” said the Australian skipper.
At the end, Australia also did not need the second new ball as India lost the last seven wickets for 34 runs within a space of one hour post tea. When asked about it being the best bowling performance from the bowling group, Cummins shared how it felt like ‘normal Test cricket’. “I mean I am trying to remember that. It felt like normal Test match cricket. You know, when I first started playing, when it was, felt like every summer Test match here was five days. We haven’t had one like that for a little while, but I think just the toil, the graft, I mean I think they were 30 something for three at lunch and I think it was mainly due to good bowling. So yeah, I thought both sides actually bowled really well,” said Cummins.
After India lost three wickets for 33 runs, Indian batsmen Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant had raised hopes of a comeback with a 88-run partnership for the fourth wicket before India lost seven wickets for 34runs. Cummins took a lighter note of that sharing he might have to take a look at the replays on how his team did that. “I don’t quite know. (Laughs). Might have a look at the replay. At tea-break, it felt that there was not a lot happening. You always felt that they were batting well and you always hope for one breakthrough and you never know what happens next. So it’s a matter of one breakthrough. And that proved the case,” said Cummins.
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