Australia’s legacy on the line ahead of the start of the series, and they cannot afford to lose a fifth series in a row.
Australia’s legacy is a proud one.
The arrival of the Border-Gavaskar series may bring some relief to Pat Cummins. Back in August, Australia’s skipper was answering questions about a Test series that was three months away while standing on the shores of Sydney Harbour on a windy, late-winter day.
For months, Australia’s skipper has only been questioned about India’s visit. Due to the fact that it took place in the middle of the night, Australia’s June Super Eight elimination from the T20 World Cup went by somewhat quietly at home. The injury to Cameron Green and the implications for the Test team were the only reasons Australia’s white-ball of the UK tour garnered media attention.
Beating India in a Test series at home this summer appears to be the only thing that matters to the Australian public.
It’s been ten years since they did it. Over that period, Australia has won three international tournaments: the T20 World Cup, the World Test Championship, and the ODI World Cup. However, back-to-back home losses to India seem to matter more to Australian cricket fans than any of those accomplishments.
The excitement is at an all-time high. Hindi has been printed on the back pages of some of Australia’s leading newspapers.
In the build-up in Perth, India has received a lot of attention because of concerns about their form and the composition of their starting lineup, but this quietly looms as a significant occasion for this Australian side.
Australia’s legacy has been discussed a lot by Cummins’ side. They aspire to be recognised as an outstanding Australian squad. In actuality, though, they are not going to be together for very long. Ten of the XI in Perth will be over the age of 30. Usman Khawaja turns 38 on the fifth day of the third Test of this summer. Nathan Lyon turned 37 on Wednesday. Steven Smith is 35. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will turn 35 and 34 respectively in January.
In addition to damaging the team’s reputation, a third straight home series defeat to India would mark the end of an era. However, Cummins feels that he is not burdened by any additional expectations.
This time, there are no justifications. In 2018–19, Smith and David Warner were absent from Australia. In 2020–21, there was a lot of dissatisfaction among the group over coach Justin Langer.
The camp has never been more cosy or settled than it is now. They are being criticised by their opponents. India lost to New Zealand 3-0 at home before coming to Australia. The selectors were fired, the captain quit. Cricket Australia was commissioned after Australia last lost three Test matches in a home series during the 2010–11 Ashes.
In Perth, Australia has been allowed to quietly and peacefully get ready. However, they are aware that if they make a mistake, the blades will still be sharp. The controversy surrounding Smith’s time as opener and the widespread silence around Australia’s defeat in the ODI series against Pakistan demonstrated that the country’s supporters are not steadfast. However, the choice was made with the wider picture in mind. And despite the prospect of a difficult five-Test series, Cummins was sure it would pay off.
Australia have timed their preparation to the minute after months of talking. A vulnerable India awaits. It’s now or never to claim the Border-Gavaskar trophy for Cummins and his crew.