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Cummins hopes for juicy Boxing Day pitch

3 minute read

Spearhead Pat Cummins hopes the MCG pitch will offer some juice for Australia's bowlers in the Boxing Day Test.

PAT CUMMINS of the Thunder prepares to bowl during the Big Bash League match between the Sydney Thunder and the Hobart Hurricanes at Manuka Oval in Canberra, Australia.
PAT CUMMINS of the Thunder prepares to bowl during the Big Bash League match between the Sydney Thunder and the Hobart Hurricanes at Manuka Oval in Canberra, Australia. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Vice-captain Pat Cummins is hoping for a juicy MCG pitch as jubilant Australia seek to extend India's misery.

Cummins rates Australia's eight-wicket win in the first Test in Adelaide as among the best Test triumphs he's been involved in.

The Australians bowled India out for their lowest Test score, a paltry 36, as they took a 1-0 series advantage before Melbourne's Boxing Day Test

And Cummins is hopeful the MCG pitch will offer more assistance to Australia's bowlers.

"The Ashes Test and the Indian Test at the MCG a couple of years ago, they were pretty flat and boring wickets as a bowler," Cummins said.

"Last year against New Zealand it was a really good wicket. It had a bit of sideways movement , pace and bounce, so hopefully much the same.

"Not only as a player, but a fan, they're the best wickets when it's a good battle between bat and ball and you feel like if you perform your skill well, you can have a big impact on the game."

India downed Australia at the MCG by 137 runs in 2018 after the tourists batted almost 168 overs in their first innings.

That result followed a drawn MCG Test in 2017 against England when the lifeless pitch was widely panned.

But against New Zealand at the MCG last year, Australia won by 247 runs on a deck the Australian bowlers found more favourable.

In the looming Melbourne Test, India will be without captain Virat Kohli who is returning home to be at the birth of his first child.

And Cummins said the Australians were keen to witness how stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane would cope with the leadership responsibility.

"Any time you play for India it seems like there's added pressure of having a billion people demanding pretty high standards," he said.

"But Ajinkya is really experienced, has played a lot and is a well respected leader, so I'm sure he's been through it all before."

The Australians were enjoying a day off in Adelaide on Sunday having wrapped up the Test inside three days of play.

"Nobody thought it (Saturday) was going to be the last day of the Test match ... I can't believe that was a Test match, a two-and-a-half-day affair when on day one they only lost six wickets," Cummins said.

"Everyone is absolutely stoked."

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