IND v AUS 2020: Pat Cummins feels David Warner and Steve Smith's return will boost Australia's chances
Australia vice-captain Pat Cummins has opined that David Warner and Steve Smith's presence will help the home side a lot in the upcoming ICC World Test Championship series against the Indian cricket team.
Talking to kkr.in on Tuesday (December 15), Pat Cummins admitted that Virat Kohli's men outplayed them in the previous edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, this time, the Aussies have more firepower in their batting lineup in the form of Steve Smith, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head.
"India had a better side than us a couple of years ago when they came here. They played really good cricket, and even though we shared patches I think overall, we were outplayed by them in that series," Pat Cummins said.
The Kolkata Knight Riders pace bowler added that David Warner and Steve Smith's availability could prove to be the decisive factor in the series.
"David and Smith coming back into the side, they are two of the best batters in the world, so of course it helps. We've also got a couple of younger guys who have now become really mature players like Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne etc. so that's a big help," Pat Cummins continued.
It's a tactic that the captains have to manage - when to bat and when to bowl: Pat Cummins on pink-ball Test
The Indian cricket team will play its first overseas day/night Test match against Australia this week. The Aussies have dominated their opponents in pink-ball cricket.
Pat Cummins has a lot of experience playing Tests under the lights. Sharing his views on the upcoming pink-ball Test match, the New South Wales fast bowler said:
"You can have some periods in a Test match a bit like a one-dayer, where the ball doesn't swing, doesn't seam and all of a sudden out of nowhere, it starts zipping around under the lights. It's just another dynamic of the game. It's a tactic that the captains have to manage - when to bat and when to bowl."
The first IND v AUS Test match will begin this Thursday at the Adelaide Oval. It will be intriguing to see how Virat Kohli and co. perform in their first pink-ball Test outside India.