"When a team declare on you, it’s never an amazing feeling": Pat Cummins

Oz skipper Pat Cummins admits team were well off the mark and have plenty to improve after humiliating 295-run loss to India; promises a bounce-back

Australia skipper Pat Cummins admitted on Monday the crushing first Test loss to India “hurt,” but said his team were experienced enough to learn from it and bounce back. The world’s top-ranked Test side were outplayed over all four days at Perth Stadium, managing just 104 in reply to India’s first innings’ 150. They then allowed India to make 487-6 before declaring half-an-hour before the close on Day Three, making a run chase of 534 all-but impossible. “I think you kind of sit in the change room after a loss like that and it hurts,” said Cummins.

Familiar situation

“When a team declare on you, it’s never an amazing feeling. We’ve all been in these situations before. It’s the nature of being in professional sport, you are going to lose some games. The biggest challenge and the most important thing is how do you bounce back, what’s your next move?

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“So, that’s what we’ve got to do this week. Clearly, we were well off the mark, there’s a lot to work on. The most important thing is there’s four Test matches to come and how do we make sure that we don’t be in this position again,” he added.

The next Test is in Adelaide next week under lights with a pink ball, a format Australia has excelled at. Cummins said they would likely arrive in the city earlier than first thought to work on ironing out the batting and bowling issues that cost them in Perth. 

Not many changes to come

But despite all-rounder Mitchell Marsh carrying some niggles and Marnus Labuschagne being badly out of form, he does not expect many, if any, changes. “I think after every Test you always kind of look at what you think your best match-up is,” Cummins said.

“Four or five days ago, we thought this was our best 11 so I dare say there won’t be many changes going into Adelaide, but I’m not a selector. “I’m sure they’ll get together after the game, but yeah, not to be today and we’ve got a bit of work to do over the next 10 days,” he added.

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