Australia captain Cummins takes long break to be ready for India Tests

Australia’s Test captain Pat Cummins has decided to take a two-month hiatus to rejuvenate himself as he prepares for the upcoming challenge of securing the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India in the latter part of the year.
Having recently concluded his debut participation in Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States, Cummins has been allowed a break from Australia’s limited-overs tour of the United Kingdom next month.This decision was made to effectively manage his workload and provide him with an opportunity to focus on his physical conditioning in anticipation of a demanding summer ahead.
“Everyone that comes back after a break is a little bit fresher, you never regret it,” Cummins told Fox Sports. “I’ve basically been bowling non-stop since the World Test Championship final, nearly 18 months ago. This gives me a good seven or eight weeks completely off bowling so the body can recover, then you start building up again for the summer.
“It means you can hopefully bowl for a little bit longer, maintaining pace is a bit easier, makes you less susceptible to injuries,” he added.
Over the past year, Cummins has had a hectic schedule. His engagements included an ODI series against India, the successful ODI World Cup campaign, three Test matches against Pakistan, two Tests against the West Indies, a T20 tour in New Zealand, two Test matches against New Zealand, the Indian Premier League, the T20 World Cup held in the Caribbean, and the MLC tournament.
“I’m very sore today after a week of gym. Hamstrings, even ankles, kind of build up over months of bowling, but you can’t really nail it while you’re in the midst of the season,” the 31-year-old said.
“I’ll be doing lots of gym, some running, a lot of rehab exercise that you just can’t really fit in the middle of the season.”
The upcoming edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will feature five Test matches. Australia hav been unable to secure the trophy since 2017, as India have emerged victorious in four consecutive series. This includes their remarkable successes in Australia during the 2018-19 and 2020-21 tours.
As the captain, Cummins is determined to lead his team to victory and claim the trophy on home soil this season.
“It’s the trophy I haven’t won before… this is the one trophy a lot of our group haven’t ticked off,” Cummins said.
“We’ve achieved some amazing things over the last few years as a Test group. You kind of back yourself to win every series at home. I think you need to try and be up there in the upper echelon of teams.
“That’s what lies ahead of us this summer. They (India) are a really good side. We play them quite a lot, we know them really well, but we feel like we’re really well placed also,” he added.
Cummins has no intention of retiring from T20 cricket in the near future. He aspires to contribute to Australia’s quest for the gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which will feature cricket for the first time in the history of the quadrennial event.
“Watching the Olympics, it got us all excited. You want to be part of it right there in the middle,” Cummins said. “I’d love to be on that side (at LA 2028). I think I’ll be 35 or something, so hopefully still there or thereabouts.
“Honestly, right now, it feels a long way away. Maybe once we get closer and start building into it, everyone gets a bit more excited,” he concluded.