Three Key Reasons Why Pat Cummins' Absence Is Blessing In Disguise For Australia

image-lekw2ovbCummins will miss the third Test due to personal reasons [AP Photos]

It has not been Australia's tour so far. Despite playing well in bits and pieces, they were shredded apart in Nagpur Test, and the same fate took place when a mini collapse led to yet another loss in Delhi last week.

Things turned from bad to worse when it was announced that skipper Pat Cummins will fly back home due to personal reasons. It was later stated that Cummins will not come back for the third Test match in Indore, and Steve Smith will marshal the Australian troops.

Here we look at 3 key reason as to why Cummins' absence is a blessing for the Aussies

1) He hardly bowled in two Tests

Pat Cummins is a superb bowler and there is no doubt about it, but the former world number one ranked bowler hardly bowled in the two Tests and that disrupted his rhythm. The cutting edge was missing in his bowling and the Indian batters took full advantage of it

The Aussie captain bowled just 33.3 overs in the first two Test, and picked up just 3 wickets, at an average of 39.67. He under-bowled in the opening two matches, especially in the fourth innings of the Delhi Test, where he did not bowl a single delivery.

It is fair to say that Cummins lacked the sharpness which you generally associate with him, and maybe a small break can do wonders for the 29-year-old.

Steve Smith is a shrewd captain, and maybe this is what Australia need at the moment. In the last decade, India have lost only three Test matches, and one of them came against Australia in 2017. In the first Test in Pune, Smith showed his tactical brilliance on a turning track and used the spinners to perfection as India succumbed under pressure and lost the contest.

Smith is brilliant with the rotation of the bowlers and has the experience of leading the team. He has captained Australia in 36 Test matches, winning 20, losing 10, and 6 games ending in draws.

3) Starc is back!

Mitchell Starc has finally recovered from his injury and is slated to play in the Indore Test, starting March 1. 

He has a knack of picking wickets with the new ball, something which was missing when Cummins was bowling in the first two Tests. Plus, the left-arm angle always creates doubts in the minds of the batter and Starc can utilise it to perfection. He has 304 Test wickets to his name and has a successful record against India as well.