Pat Cummins believes India’s historic first series loss to New Zealand at home could deliver his team an advantage and the Australian captain his last major Test achievement.
Last week, the Kiwis claimed an unassailable 2-0 lead in their three-Test series against India.
New Zealand had failed to win any of their previous 12 series in India, going back to 1955.
Yet Rohit Sharma’s men have performed so well in Australia that Cummins, now with 62 Tests under his belt, has never played in a winning series against them.
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“It’s kind of the one big thing that I want to tick off, particularly winning at home,” Cummins said.
“Most Australians, me included, expect us to do well whenever we play at home.
“We’ve lost the [past] two series against them (in Australia) so this is a big one. We feel like our team’s in a really good place so we’ve got no reason why we shouldn’t perform really well.
“I just always expect us to do well against whoever we play. But India, particularly, is a big year, big season.”
After losing a Test series in India early last year, Australia went on to have a spectacular 2023 against world cricket’s superpower.
Australia beat India comprehensively in the World Test Championship final at the Oval ahead of the Ashes, then upset the overwhelming World Cup favourites in the final at Ahmedabad to claim that title.
But of all the teams Australia have played during their past 16 Test series, India are the only opponents yet to be beaten in a series either home or away.
That includes twice in Australia, during 2018-19, when Steve Smith and David Warner were suspended, and 2020-21.
The first of five Tests between Australia and India will be held in Perth, beginning on November 22.
AAP
