Ind vs Aus: Cummins hopes Smith and Warner will inspire more confidence
Dec 15, 2020
Adelaide [Australia], December 15 : Australia pace spearhead Pat Cummins feels Steve Smith and David Warner's presence will help hosts in the upcoming Test series against India which gets underway on Thursday.
India had clinched the Test series 2-1 in 2018 in the absence of Warner and Smith. Cummins believes in the last two years Australia as a side has grown a lot in Test cricket and with more firepower in their batting, they will be a major force to reckon with.
"I hope so (Smith and Warner inspire more confidence). Marnus Labuschagne played one or two Test last time but he is one of the best batters in Test cricket," Cummins told kkr.in.
"I feel 15 Test down the track we all have learned a little bit about ourselves. So it's gonna be a really good series as India has a similar side from the last time and we have got a couple of guys to come in gonna be good fun," he added.
Cummins admitted that India has a disciplined bowling attack but backed his batsmen to come good against Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami.
"I think the last time Mohammad Shami, Bumrah, and Ishant really bowled well together disciplined. Bumrah and Shami can bowl at 140km/h. It's gonna be a lot of hard work but our batters have shown that they can bat for long hours in the last couple of years," said Cummins.
Australia has won each of their four day-night Test matches so far while India has played just one pink-ball Test to date, winning it convincingly against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens in November last year.
Warner has been ruled out of the first Test but is likely to return for the Boxing Day match on December 26.
The first Test of the series, a pink-ball contest, will begin on December 17 at the Adelaide Oval. Australia had won the ODI series while the Men in Blue walked away with the honours in the T20I series.
