Pat Cummins acknowledges Bumrah’s threat ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Ahead of the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25, Australia captain Pat Cummins expressed caution regarding the threat posed by India’s pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah. Cummins acknowledged Bumrah’s skill and consistency, emphasizing that keeping him quiet would be key to Australia’s success. Bumrah, known for his sharp accuracy and ability to generate both pace and swing, has been a standout performer for India in recent years across all formats, making him a central figure in the upcoming series.
Cummins praised Bumrah’s cricketing intelligence, stating that the Indian bowler’s ability to adapt and deliver under pressure makes him one of the most formidable fast bowlers in the world. This adds another exciting layer to the Australia-India rivalry, as fans eagerly await the battle between two of the world’s top fast bowlers during the BGT.
“I’m a big fan of Bumrah. I think he’s a fantastic bowler. Hopefully, if we can keep him quiet, that is going to go a long way to winning the series,” said Cummins on the Star Sports Press Room.
“Alongside him, he has got some other guys who haven’t played a lot over here in Australia (that) we haven’t seen a lot of. We’ll see how it goes,” he added.
Team India’s back-to-back series victories in Australia during the 2018/19 and 2020/21 tours will certainly boost their confidence heading into the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, Pat Cummins is drawing strength from Australia’s recent triumphs over India, notably in the World Test Championship final and the ODI World Cup final, which have given his side a fresh sense of belief and momentum.
“The last two series were a long time ago. We have got over it. I’ve never played alongside him (Rohit Sharma), so I don’t know him super well. But it has looked like they (Indian team) are pretty organised, pretty well-planned,” the 31-year-old added.
“Fortunately, over the last few years, we’ve had some success in the World Test Championship final and (in) a different format for the ODI World Cup. We’ll be trying to lean on those memories. As I’m sure they’re trying to remember some of the previous series over here as well,” Cummins concluded.
