Pat Cummins to take two-month break to focus on Test series against India

Australia’s Test captain, Pat Cummins, has announced an eight-week hiatus to recharge ahead of the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India later this year.

Fresh off his debut stint in Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States, Cummins has chosen to rest and recuperate, opting out of next month's white-ball tour of the United Kingdom.

This decision is part of a strategic plan to manage Cummins' workload and ensure he is physically and mentally prepared for the challenging summer ahead. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is of particular significance, as Australia has suffered back-to-back series defeats to India on home soil in 2018/19 and 2020/21.

Cummins believes that skipping the UK tour will allow him to address any lingering physical strains and return in peak condition, ready to lead Australia in what promises to be a critical series. "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," he added.

"It means you can hopefully bowl for a little bit longer, maintaining pace is a bit easier, and it makes you less susceptible to injuries."

Cummins also reflected on the significance of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a title that has eluded him throughout his career. "It's the one 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."

The series against India holds special importance, not just for the Australian team but also for Cummins personally. During India’s last tour of Australia in 2020/21, the visitors staged a remarkable comeback. After a humiliating start in Adelaide, where India was bowled out for a mere 36 in the day/night Test, the series seemed headed for disaster.

However, despite losing key players, including then-captain Virat Kohli, and fielding a makeshift bowling attack in the final Test, India clinched a 2-1 series victory.

The crowning achievement came at the Gabba, a venue where Australia had remained unbeaten since 1989.

Cummins, who was part of the Australian squad during that series, is determined to change the outcome this time around. "They're 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," Cummins remarked.