As the excitement builds for the opening match of the ODI World Cup, Australia skipper Pat Cummins confidently spoke about his team's preparedness to face India on October 8, particularly their spinners. Drawing confidence from their 66-run victory over India in the third ODI at Rajkot, where they posted an impressive score of 352, Cummins shared his thoughts on the upcoming encounter.
Elaborating on their strategy, Cummins said, "It (preparation) starts with training for the next few days before the game. The Australian guys play a lot of spin. Our batting order had played a lot in India and done well, so they know most of the (Indian) bowlers and they have a plan (in place)."
He believes the recent win has boosted the team's morale and emphasized their stellar track record in ODIs against India.
"We are really confident. We had a good win in the third ODI (in Rajkot), which is probably a bit closest to our strongest XI. We have had pretty good records in ODIs in India," Cummins added.
A significant part of Australia's hopes lies with their aggressive opener, David Warner. Despite facing form issues in the recent past, Warner has shown significant improvement, amassing 390 runs in nine innings this year. Cummins added, "Dave's (Warner) been fantastic in the last month, particularly in white-ball cricket. Not only is he scoring runs, he is being aggressive. He is taking the game on and getting the innings off to a great start," Cummins said.
"So, I'm expecting a great tournament from Dave. He has been consistent, and I am loving the way he is going about it."
The Australian squad has been in fine form leading up to the World Cup, with victories against South Africa, Pakistan, and the Netherlands. Cummins reflected, "Feels like a second home (in India). Preparations have been really good, with the five ODIs in South Africa and three against India."
On being questioned about his limited experience as a captain, Cummins deflected any pressure, stressing on the collective experience of the team. "We have got a lot of experience in the side. I have been leaning a lot on the other guys, but I am really well-placed. You get a feel of what exactly is going on out there."
Discussing the team dynamics, Cummins highlighted the importance of Glenn Maxwell as an all-rounder. While Australia has only one specialist spinner in Adam Zampa, Maxwell's slow-bowling expertise would be crucial against spin-favorable teams like India. Cummins expressed, "Max (Maxwell) is a key player for us. He has got an amazing knock; even if he misses out with the bat, he contributes with the ball and vice-versa."
With consecutive matches lined up against India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, the importance of a winning start can't be stressed enough. Cummins concluded, “It's tough and you gotta be on your game, right from the start. We gotta make sure to start with a couple of wins and ensure that we are on the right track.”
WITH PTI INPUTS
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