Pat Cummins reminds Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir of their blunder ahead of AUS vs SA WTC final: 'You expect India to…'
For the first time in a World Test Championship final, there will be no Team India gunning for glory, and Pat Cummins is well aware of it. Instead, it would be Australia taking on South Africa for the ultimate Test honour, two teams that have no shortage of history. These two sides have been part of some of the most unforgettable battles in the past – the 1999 World Cup semifinal, the record 434-run chase in 2006, and, of course, the infamous Cape Town Sandpaper incident. Then again, the stakes could not be higher when it's the final of an ICC tournament. Cummins is yet to lose the final of an ICC championship, while his South African counterpart, Temba Bavuma, has yet to take a loss as South Africa's Test captain. One of these streaks will end.
However, as the battle lines were about to be drawn, on the eve of the Test match, Cummins namedropped Team India, saying any top team in the world expects the Men in Blue to be in the final. And while it may seem a very normal statement, one couldn't help but think it is enough to remind India head coach Gautam Gambhir and former Test captain Rohit Sharma of the huge opportunity missed. Back in September of last year, when India's Test season was beginning, they needed to win at least six of their 10 Tests to make it a hat-trick of reaching WTC finals, but instead, they won three. After beating Bangladesh 2-0, India needed to win four more, with a 3-match series against New Zealand at home and 5 more in Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to be played. However, the 0-3 whitewash to the BlackCaps threw a spanner in the works, all but knocking India out of contention.
So, while Cummins was aware of it, he ensured the Proteas were not counted out. South Africa were always the favourites to qualify for the WCT final, having a handy lead at the top of the points table for most of the time, and now that they are finally here, accompanied by the defending champions, Cummins opened up on all the top teams that were fighting tooth and nail for the pinnacle.
"In some ways, you expect India to be around. England have been quite strong at home, and New Zealand always seem to get to the finals. But the same case could be made for South Africa in ICC events. We just don't see a lot of them in Test cricket, but it's nice and different to an Australia-India final. You can only beat those you come up against. Our route to the final was pretty tough, but I don't blame South Africa for having a different route," Cummins said.
The WTC finals would mark Australia's return to Test cricket for the first time since they beat India at Sydney to win the series and the BGT 3-1. Meanwhile, South Africa's lack of Test cricket has been making headlines for a while now. With both teams having played their last Test match in January, a lot of questions will be answered only when the first ball is bowled at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground in London.
"It's hard to say because there are so many unknowns. We haven't played them much [with their last Test series ending in an easy Australian victory at home in 2022-23], but you've got to be really well balanced to make the final. Their bowling has always stood out, and it's no different now. [Keshav] Maharaj is a really solid spinner and they've always got plenty of quick bowlers who pose a challenge," added Cummins.
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