Australian pacer Pat Cummins wasn’t surprised with India’s historic comeback in the second Test at MCG that helped the visitors level the 4-match series by 1-1.
India’s 8-wicket win would go down as one of the most dominating performances by an Asian team on Aussie soil, considering they had suffered a horrific loss in the first Test, were bundled out for 36 in the second innings, their lowest score in the longest format of the game, then bounced back with a thumping win in Melbourne in absence of their key players – Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami.
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A number of cricket experts had predicted a 4-0 whitewash defeat for India following the loss in the Adelaide Test, but the Ajinkya Rahane-led side defied all odds and scripted a majestic triumph in the Boxing Day Test. It was an all-round effort from the Indian cricket team, with Rahane leading the batting upfront with a memorable ton and eventually, being awarded as the ‘Player of the Match’.
“Any side, once they have a big loss, you know they are going to come back a little bit harder. Everyone is incredibly proud when you are playing at this level, so no real surprise that they (Team India) came out really hard,” said the 27-year-old Westmead-born in a virtual press conference on Wednesday.
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Cummins lauded the Indian debutant – Shubman Gill – for his counterattacking knocks in the concluded MCG Test. Gill came as a replacement for Prithvi Shaw in the playing XI, post the latter’s poor performance with the bat in the first Test at Adelaide Oval.
Capitalizing on the opportunity to open the innings, Gill scored 45 (55) in the first innings and then an unbeaten 35* off 36 deliveries comprising 7 fours to chase the 70-run target alongside India’s stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane (27*).
“Shuby (Gill) looked good in his first Test. He is quite a calm character. Looks like, similar way he wants to play wants to take the game on, which a bowler proved opportunities, some days it will come off some days it won’t”, said Cummins.
Just try and bowl good balls: Pat Cummins
So far, the Australian bowling attack has been successful in getting an edge over India’s hero in the previous edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy – Cheteshwar Pujara – in the ongoing 4-match series. Cummins has got the better of Pujara on 3 out of 4 occasions in the series underway. When asked if there’s any plan for the Indian No 3 batter, Cummins replied on bowling good deliveries and persisting with the line and lengths to make Pujara either play or leave.
“The reality is I don’t really know, just try and bowl good balls, make a decision whether to play or leave it (for Pujara), and just try and do it as long as we can. Fortunately, it has come off so far pretty early in his innings. There is nothing drastically changed and we are just going to try and concentrate on what we do well for a longer period and so far, it has worked. I will be lying if I say we have got this grand plan that we have changed for him,” said Cummins.
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Lastly, the pacer hinted that the Australian team won’t be looking to rope two spinners for the third Test at Sydney Cricket Ground that will commence on January 7. Instead, Marnus Labuschagne could chip in a few overs with his leg-spin.
“Not a selector, but I would say probably not, we are lucky that in our side we have got someone like Marnus (Labuschagne), he can bowl some leg-spin overs as well,” said Cummins while concluding.
