After successfully passing the Ashes test, Australia Test skipper Patrick Cummins moves away from his backyard as an overseas challenge in the form of Pakistan awaits him. With his team scheduled to play a three-match Test series against Pakistan, Cummins currently is on the hunt for new techniques to bring the opposition down to the mat.
Cummins, who will be leading Australia overseas for the first time in his captaincy career, talked about being ‘creative’ and ‘brave’. "It throws up a different challenge to the cricket we've grown up used to playing in Australia. There's probably going to be times where I'll have to be more creative, try a few different things, be brave, so I'm excited for that challenge," the fast-bowling all-rounder said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"We don't really know what to expect over there. Subcontinent Tests can be played quickly or slowly, but think for a lot of this group, we haven't played a lot of cricket overseas, so if we want to be No. 1 in the world we have to have a really good showing on these subcontinent tours," he added.
After warming themselves up against a timid England side, the mighty Aussies will look in to bring a new dimension of preparation for playing in the subcontinent. With reverse swing always a great asset in Pakistan, the numero-uno Test bowler mentioned how the fast-bowlers are working hard to master the skill as recent pitches and matches in Australia have not allowed them to do so.
"It's made us not to expect to have a just a really spin-friendly subcontinent conditions that perhaps we've experienced in past Indian or Sri Lanka tours. Seems like the pace bowlers have done quite well and they've got a really strong pace-bowling line-up. We feel like the squad we have covered all areas and we are really comfortable if we need extra spinners or extra pace bowlers.
"A lot of time the ball reverse swings so we didn't really experience it this summer with grassy wickets, short games, whereas over there it can be a real weapon so trying to upskill that. We haven't bowled a lot of reverse swing in the last year or so but it's a huge factor going into the subcontinent," Cummins asserted.
With Steven Smith serving as Cummins' deputy, Australia's success in the series will also rely on the former, considering his experience as a captain and batter in the subcontinent.
"There's lots of information that I'll be trying to sift through and get help from. Feel lucky to have someone like Smithy who has not only captained in India but also played quite a bit on the subcontinent," he concluded.
Australia will depart this weekend for a full-fledged tour of Pakistan, scheduled to begin from March 4, 2022.