When Australia take on India later this month, Pat Cummins is expected to be the spearhead of the Aussie attack. However, Cummins feels that spinners will play a greater role in the ODI series.
“I think spinners play a bigger part in India than they do around the world but it’s rare you get a big spinning dust bowl for a one day international,” Cummins told reporters in Sydney ahead of the team’s departure to India as quoted by IANS.
Notably, Australia have not selected Ashton Agar and leg-spinner Adam Zampa in their team for this tour.
It is worth highlighting that on their last visit to India, Australia had gone on to win the series 3-2 after trailing 0-2 at one stage.
“Last series I think we played two spinners, they also played two so they are certainly important, especially in the middle overs,” Cummins said
He also made an interesting observation when he stated that the ball gets softer in India as the game progresses and this makes it easier to bowl on Indian pitches during the later stages of the innings in comparison to some of the other countries.
“Up front there’s always a little bit in it with a new ball like anywhere else in the world. But then after that I actually feel that the ball gets probably a little bit softer and chewed up more over there than it does in other parts of the world which makes it a little bit easier sometimes bowling with a bit of a softer ball.”
“But it’s just a different challenge, the fields there are a lot smaller and faster than here in Australia, the wickets aren’t as pacey and bouncy but it’s the same format just a slightly different beast,” he added.
The Australia series is scheduled to commence in Mumbai on 14 January followed by the second and third encounters on 17 and 19 January in Rajkot and Bengaluru respectively.