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CHENNAI : In a little over two weeks, some of India's leading red-ball cricketers, sans the big three of Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, will assemble in Bengaluru to play in the opening round of the Duleep Trophy. While Kohli and Sharma will, in all likelihood, be back for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, the word on the street is that Bumrah may be given a longer break. Expect him to be back for the three Tests against New Zealand in October. Likewise, the other regulars of the squad will all be primed and ready by the time the Kiwis land on these shores in the second week of October.
But the five Tests at home will only act as an aperitif. The entree, make no mistake, will be the five Tests in Australia. And India do have a proud record to defend. In isolation, they don't hand out ICC titles for bilateral Test series but the record of not having lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, either home or away, since 2014-15 should be a badge of honour.
Inversely, it's a grim statistic for an Australian side who pride themselves on the way they play their red-ball cricket, especially in their own backyard. Their storylines, at least from the outside, seem larger-than-life — Boxing Day Tests in Melbourne, the WACA, Ashes Down Under, the Gabbatoir... (they have also pencilled in an off-season Melbourne Test against England in March 2027 to celebrate 150 years of Tests). You get the drift, right?
It was striking to hear Josh Hazlewood, one of the few members of the Australian side who has tasted a victory in a series against India, address this. "There are quite a few players who have never beaten India in a Test series," he was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo last week. "It's quite astounding to say that. That's one we need to tick off, definitely, in particular at home — we should pretty much win every series here at home."
It's not an understatement to say that some of the other mainstays of the line-up are also thinking about the series (the first Test is scheduled to begin at Perth on November 22). In that same above-mentioned piece, Nathan Lyon was also thinking about that series. The offie, some of whose greatest performances have come against India, has picked the brains of Tom Hartley, the left-arm spinner who was among the wicket-takers when they had come to India in January.
In a bid to regain the BGT, Pat Cummins has stepped up his preparations in a very novel way. The Australian skipper is currently in the middle of a no-cricket spell. A few days ago, he teamed up with Alyssa Healy to spread the message of 'Cricket Anywhere', a theme of the year for CricketNSW. It showcased the sport's versatility in playing the game anywhere. As part of the campaign, Cummins was bowling to a few kids in Sydney with the harbour forming the backdrop.
Generally, though, he has done some gym work, running, exercises where he's focusing a lot on recovery and not much else. "I'm very sore today after a week of gym," he had said Fox Cricket last week. "Hamstrings, even ankles, kind of build up over months of bowling but you can't nail it while you are in the midst of the season.
"It's (BGT) the trophy I haven't won before... that's what lies ahead of us this Summer." His break means he won't be in the touring white-ball squad to England next month. He may play a Shield game before the first Test. "The priority at the moment is to smash out some gym work and start reassessing in a few weeks a path forward," he was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. "I'm just trying to fill up the bucket again after two years of non-stop cricket bowling."
The piece mentions that Cummins was home for only two days between February and July so one can understand why he has decided to focus on revving up the batteries.
There's some chatter even among the batting group as well. Steven Smith is now their designated opener but it's become a national issue after his middling returns. Usman Khawaja, the other opener, would much rather see Smith going back to No. 4. "I am not sure what the top six is going to be this Summer," he told Fox Cricket a few days ago.
" I have always loved Steve Smith batting at No. 4, I haven’t shied away from that. I know Steve Smith can score runs at one, two, three, four, five, or six, but the man averages 60 at four, so my preference has always been Smudge (Smith) at four."
That's not all. In fact, some Test regulars are all set to end their long absence from domestic red-ball cricket — something that is happening in India as well — in a bid to prepare for the BGT. When the domestic calendar for the new season was unveiled in July, it was known that as many as two Sheffield Shield Games would be 'free of any overlapping international cricket', according to cricket.com.au.
The next few months will see players of both sides dotting the i's and crossing the t's before the main event of the Australian Summer.