‘It’s the trophy I haven’t won before’: Pat Cummins takes eight-week break ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy

With Border-Gavaskar Trophy in sight, Australia Test captain Pat Cummins has taken an eight-week break so that he can go all guns blazing against India later this year.

“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,” Cummins was quoted as saying by Fox Sports.

“It means you can hopefully bowl for a little bit longer, maintaining pace is a bit easier, makes you less susceptible to injuries,” he said.

The 31-year-old has been playing cricket non-stop after fracturing his wrist towards the end of the Ashes campaign in England. Cummins led Australia to the ODI World Cup win, played three Tests match against Pakistan, two Tests against the West Indies, a T20 tour of New Zealand, two Tests against New Zealand, the Indian Premier League, the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the most recently Major League Cricket in the US.

Australia’s Pat Cummins, right, is congratulated by teammates after bowling out West Indies’ Kraigg Brathwaite on the first day of their cricket test match in Adelaide, Australia, Wednesday. (AP)

“I’m very sore today after a week of gym. Hamstrings, even ankles, kind of build up over months of bowling, but you can’t really nail it while you’re in the midst of the season,” he said.

Eyes on the prize

Since 2017, Australia has failed to lay its hands on the trophy, with India winning four consecutive series including the historic triumphs on Australian soil in 2018-19 and 2020-21.

Pat Cummins admitted that the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy is the only the only he hasn’t won and he is desperate to win it under his captaincy.

“It’s the trophy I haven’t won before… this is the one trophy a lot of our group haven’t ticked off,” Cummins said.

Australia’s Pat Cummins, right, hold up the ball after taking 5 wickets against Pakistan during the fourth day of their cricket test match in Melbourne, Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

“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.

“That’s what lies ahead of us this summer. They’re (India) 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,” he added.

On quitting T20 cricket

Pat Cummins is in no mood to quit T20 cricket as of now, and hopes to help Australia win the gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where cricket will make its debut.

“Watching the Olympics, it got us all excited. You want to be part of it right there in the middle,” Cummins said.

“I’d love to be on that side (at LA28). I think I’ll be 35 or something, so hopefully still there or thereabouts.

“Honestly right now, it feels a long way away. Maybe once we get closer and start building into it, everyone gets a bit more excited,” he said.

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