'Absolutely A Tough Surface..,' Cummins Reflects On Australia's Loss To IND In World Cup
Australian bowlers didn't have enough runs to defend (Twitter)
India began their World Cup 2023 campaign on a winning note, defeating Australia by six wickets at Chepauk on Sunday.
Pat Cummins highlights crucial shortcomings in World Cup opener
The Indian bowlers, led by a standout performance from Ravindra Jadeja who took three wickets, restricted the Aussies to a modest 199. In their chase, India faced a challenging start as top-order batsmen Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma, and Shreyas Iyer were dismissed without scoring.
However, a commendable 165-run partnership between KL Rahul and Virat Kohli led India to a comfortable victory with six wickets in hand.
Reflecting on the defeat during the post-match presentation, Australian skipper Pat Cummins admitted that the team fell short by about 50 runs. He acknowledged the brilliance of India's bowling attack, especially the spinners who made batting challenging for the Aussies. While he dismissed concerns about playing only two spinners, noting they had a full quota of 20 overs of spin, he emphasized the need for more runs on the board.
“At least 50 odd (short with the bat). It was tough, trying to defend anything under 200.. It was a really good bowling attack and their spinners made it tough work out there. I wasn't too upset (with just two spinners), we had 20 overs of spin but some more runs on the board would have made the difference,” said Cummins.
Cummins chose to brush off an incident where a catch was dropped, suggesting it's part and parcel of the game. He also praised bowler Josh Hazlewood for his consistent and probing line and length.
“I have already forgotten about it (the drop catch), it happens, 4/10 would have been a dream start. He (Hazlewood) is a class bowler and posses a lot of questions, stays in that area and was fantastic today,” added the Aussie skipper.
Despite the loss, Cummins pointed out that this was just one game out of nine and there was no need to overthink the defeat. Yet, he admitted the team needs to assess the match and improve in certain areas. He remained firm in his decision to bat first, had he won the toss again, highlighting that it was the right call.
“We have to review this one, absolutely a tough surface, but what if we are up against it then what to do we do differently. Just one game out of nine, not too much to ponder about but there are some areas we need to get better. No (would have change his toss decision),” concluded Cummins.
 "Jatin")
