Australia captain Pat Cummins has flown home from the tour of India with a heavy heart due to a personal health emergency in his family. Despite this difficult period and Australia’s two-Test losing streak to India, Cummins will be back with his squad soon enough ahead of the 3rd Test in Indore. This serves as a breather for both sides, who have the much-needed nine-day break before beginning their ultimate attempts at redemption on March 1st. Cummins’ strong determination despite his family issues is emblematic of all the cricketing battles he has had, and personifies how resilient he is when faced with adversity.
Coach Andrew McDonald has confirmed that despite Patty Cummins’ current absence from the team while he is in Sydney, his involvement in the squad and their planning for Indore will remain unaltered. McDonald stated, “We’ll be in contact with Patty. He’ll still be engaged in those conversations whilst dealing with what’s happening back home but we’ve got some strong leaders in the squad who will be able to pick up the slack on the ground.” Cummins was recently victorious as Australia’s sole quick in Delhi, however due to India’s successful run making of Australia’s target of 115 within three days he was not needed to bowl during the fourth innings of the match. Despite being unavailable physically for Indore, it seems that Cummins will still remain very much involved.
Vice-captain Steven Smith has been thrust into the captaincy position in the absence of fast bowler Pat Cummins twice since Cummins took over the Test captaincy. Thankfully, it does not appear that Cummins is going to miss the upcoming Test match in India and Smith won’t be called on to lead once more. Nevertheless, it is comforting for Australia that their vice-captain is more than capable of stepping up in such a situation. With plenty of fast bowling cover still available, as Stars Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood aim to be fit for the third Test and other squad members Scott Boland and Lance Morris also still involved, it looks like Cummins will only have Smith at his side if he needs any help – a pressure greatly relieved by having someone as experienced as Smith who can quickly slip into the captaincy role without missing a beat.
With Australia in need of a series victory to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, there appears to be only one way back in and that is through scorching heat of squad changes. This has been hinted at by Cummins, who suggested that there could be further alterations announced in the coming days. Headlining these changes is likely to be David Warner, whose condition continues to remain under close watch after requiring a concussion substitute and suffering a hairline fracture in his left elbow during the first innings. The chances of him playing again this series appear slim at best, meaning the Australian camp may have a difficult choice ahead as they ponder potential replacements for Warner’s lost batting prowess.
Todd Murphy’s resilience in the Test has been admirable, and his performance is evidence that he could potentially take over from Pat Cummins as Australia’s lead pacer. However, those hopes might not be realized with Mitchell Swepson possibly returning for the second Test on account of the birth of his first child. On the other hand, Australia will soon launch into a three-match ODI series against India and there is a possibility that Cummins will be rested from those fixtures; giving someone else an opportunity to prove themselves. Regardless of who takes up the mantle at the top-tier cricket level, it promises to be an exciting time ahead for fans of Australian cricket.
