India vs Australia 3rd Test: Scoreboard starts at 0-0, says Pat Cummins

Australia’s Josh Hazlewood. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Games starting at 0-0 is a cliché that has recurred in most pre-match press-conferences out here Down Under. Pat Cummins too sought refuge in this statistic while refusing to be drawn into whether the Gabba or other Australian venues would be deemed a fortress.

Addressing the media here on December 13, Cummins said: “It’s just a venue, really. We play in dozens of venues around the world. It’s always good to come back to a place that’s familiar. You can look at times where you might have scored runs or bowled well, that really helps. The scoreboard starts at 0-0, so the venue isn’t relevant any more.”

In a topsy-turvy series so far, there has been some criticism of both Cummins and Rohit Sharma. The Australian captain offered his perspective: “There’s always pressure when you are playing Test cricket. When you are captain, a lot of that falls on you. It’s nothing new. At Perth we didn’t play our best. In some ways, a lot of criticism is valid. Some of it isn’t.”

Cummins stressed that Josh Hazlewood will replace Scott Boland in the playing eleven for the third Test: “Josh has had no hiccups. It is tough on Scotty, probably he will get another crack later. There’s always some form of natural attrition throughout a Test series, it’s a good thing he has played a Test earlier in the series.”

The speedster was not averse to replicating the short-ball tactics against the Indians: “It’s always in the back of your mind as a bit of a Plan B. It worked in Adelaide, so I am sure we will give it a shot at some point.”

As for Steve Smith, Cummins added: “His record is huge and stats suggest that (a big knock) is not far.”