Winning Test series in India toughest assignment we have as Oz cricketers

Time of India

04-05-2025

Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins
has caused a lot of heartbreak for Indian fans in recent times. The Aussie paceman, who took over the reins at a difficult time in Nov 2021, has overseen his team's success in the 2023
World Test Championship
and the ODI World Cup — both at the cost of India in the final. Earlier this year, his team finished off India's WTC Final hopes. The pacer, who is now leading Sunrisers Hyderabad team in the IPL, talks to
Dwaipayan Datta
about the dynamics of being a top-level captain and writing a not-so-typical cricket book
Your book 'Tested' has stories of 10 leaders including former PM Julia Gillard. What goes into the making of a successful captain, and who are the leaders who inspire you?
I think it is about collaborating well, dealing with pressure and having genuine care for the players. I find myself looking to the business world for inspiration. What resonates with me with these leaders is their ability to stay ahead of the competition and get the best out of their workers. In a lot of the new startups, the founders are in their 20s and 30s, much like a professional cricket team.
How has the great Dennis Lillee influenced you as a cricketer and a person?
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Dennis has been a great source of wisdom and support since I first met him around 2013. Technically, he got my action to a point where I could deal with the stresses that come with fast bowling while maintaining my strengths.
Many feel you're in that rare group of cricketers who make pace bowling look poetic. What makes you such a joy to watch?
I think some people are being very kind because when I bowl it doesn't feel very poetic! The fast bowlers I love watching in Test cricket always seem to be at the batter, asking questions even when conditions aren't in their favour. That is the ideal place to be in as a bowler, consistent but not predictable.
You took over Australian captaincy when the national team was at a bit of a crossroads. How difficult was it to bring everyone together and become the world-beating unit that you are?
The one thing that remained constant during this time was a core of brilliant, experienced players. A lot of the initial days were spent fostering an environment where everyone comes together, but at the same we stay out of each other's way when it makes sense to.
What has been your best moment as an Australian captain?
Winning the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup in the same year — it's hard to beat that. In the ODI World Cup final, we knew we were walking into a game where the whole country was behind India, so no point in pretending that wasn't the case. I must admit, it was pretty sweet standing in the middle of the (Narendra Modi) stadium with the boys, looking around the stadium in stunned silence. I'll never forget that.
India couldn't be beaten in a bilateral series by Australia since 2016, until your team did it earlier this year. Is it the most difficult team to beat across formats? Do you think a Test series win in India will be your final frontier as captain?
India's depth and home dominance make them the ultimate challenge across all formats. It's a few years away but winning an away Test series in India does seem like the toughest assignment we have as Aussie cricketers.
You're enduring a tough IPL season with SRH. How difficult is it to deal with failures?
Failures are tough but part of the job. We all want to win everything but some of the most successful teams ever may reach just over a 60% win rate. Knowing this, it does help in thinking objectively about the parts you think you need to improve upon, but also the parts that you believe are right, and just didn't pay off on this occasion.
How important is it for a captain to be at the top of his game during a big series?
I believe it is quite important. Results aside, I think clarity of thought can make a difference across a long series.
There aren't too many bowling captains. How easy or tough is it to lead while being the No. 1 bowler of the team? And what did you make of Jasprit Bumrah as captain during the India-Australia series?
It's a skill I've got better and better at, and I've just learnt to lean on senior guys when needed on the potential blind spots I may have, for example, how long and when to bowl myself. I find it hard to judge a captain that I haven't played under but I always believe the benefits of a bowling captain can certainly outweigh the cons.
Mitchell Starc, Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland — where do you place this pace quartet in Aussie cricket history? And how's the next crop shaping up?
I'll leave that up to others, but it has been an amazing time over the past decade playing alongside those guys. The next crop is really promising; we have about another half a dozen guys who have debuted across formats in the last couple of years and have been match winners. So, I feel we have great depth!