(AP Photo)
Australia’s Test captain, Pat Cummins, is anticipated to take part in the upcoming Sheffield Shield, Australia’s premier domestic red-ball competition, as he gears up for the Test series against India set to begin this November.
Having recently competed in the Major League Cricket in the USA, Cummins has been given a break from Australia’s white-ball tour of the UK. During this period, he intends to focus on enhancing his fitness in preparation for the five-Test series against India.
“Ronnie (Australia coach Andrew McDonald) called me the other day and said we need to talk about this. I prefer to go a little bit fresher but definitely play some cricket going in,” Cummins was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“So I’d say it’s either two or three ODIs, plus a Shield (game) or maybe just some Shield, maybe some NSW one-day stuff. I imagine kind of late October/early November will be when I start playing building up for the Tests,” he added.
Following the home series against India, Australia is set to visit Sri Lanka for two Test matches as they strive to secure a spot in the final of the 2025 ICC World Test Championship.
Pat Cummins might also participate in an ODI series against Pakistan in November as part of his preparation efforts.
In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Cummins shared insights into his plans for the period away from international cricket.
“I still get that same amount of break and then just probably start one or two weeks later heading into the summer… I’ll get home, I’ll have a good six or eight weeks off bowling where I’ll get in the gym every day, do some running, and get some strength back into my body. And then we’ve got a big Test match series (vs India) for our home summer, so that’ll be the focus,” he said.
India’s tour of Australia is set to begin on November 22, with Test matches scheduled to take place in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney, each hosting one game.
