New Delhi, Dec 4 (IANS): Former England captain Michael Vaughan is confident that Australian skipper Pat Cummins will rediscover his peak form in the upcoming pink-ball Test in Adelaide, following a lacklustre performance in the series opener against India.
Australia suffered a 295-run defeat in Perth as India dominated across all departments, ending Australia’s unbeaten run at the venue. Cummins, typically the spearhead of Australia’s attack, struggled to make a significant impact. He managed only three wickets across the match, conceding 153 runs in 40.4 overs.
“He’s a brilliant captain and a brilliant bowler. But the one thing I’ll say is he did look short of a gallop in the First Test. He’d not been playing any longer format cricket since March. So, I would think this week in Adelaide, he will be up on his pace because of what he did last week. I think the First Test will be good for him—he’s got some overs back into his body and mind, and I think he’ll be better for it," Vaughan said on Fox Cricket’s podcast The Follow On.
Vaughan pointed out that a slight dip in pace could make Cummins more vulnerable to opposition batters. "Pace is a lot for Pat Cummins. If he is down to 135 (or so), I think he it gives the batters that extra little bit of time to adjust to the movement and the accuracy that he produces," he said.
"We saw it in the Ashes, actually, a couple of years ago, that when England got after him, and when England got after Australia, England looked like a team that were dominating. The field was spread and run scoring became that much easier."
With Josh Hazlewood ruled out due to injury, Scott Boland is expected to step into the lineup, adding a different dimension to the bowling attack. Vaughan emphasised the importance of Cummins’ leadership and performance in Adelaide, particularly given the pressure to level the series.
"It feels like a big week for Australia. They are one-nil down. And the last time India were there, they bowled them out for 36 and blew them away, but they lost that series. If you’re looking at this Australian Test match team strategically, they haven’t played consistently great for a while."
Australia entered the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with ambitions of reclaiming the series for the first time in a decade. However, their struggles in Perth have put them on the back foot.
“This Australian team hasn’t won any big series. They’ve got the Ashes, but they managed to draw 2-2, and anyone who’s a real cricket student knows England had them on the ropes. The rain in Manchester saved them, and England blew them away in two games. It feels like a team that’s not played consistently great cricket for a while,” Vaughan concluded.