Pat Cummins believes India’s historic first series loss to New Zealand at home could deliver his team an advantage and the Australian captain his last major Test achievement.
“I hope so,” Cummins told AAP at the launch of his book ‘Tested’ in Sydney on Tuesday, just three weeks out from the start of Australia's five-Test series against India.
“I think any time a team's under pressure, it's not a bad thing if you're playing against them.
“But they've been out here before and performed well. Our job is to try and keep them quiet, see how we go.”
Last week, the Kiwis claimed an unassailable 2-0 lead in their three-Test series against India. New Zealand had failed to win any of their previous 12 series in India, going back to 1955.
Yet Rohit Sharma's men have performed so well in Australia that Cummins, now with 62 Tests under his belt, has never played in a winning series against them.
“It's kind of the one big thing that I want to tick off,” Cummins said.
“Particularly winning at home. Most Australians, me included, expect us to do well whenever we play at home.
“We've lost the (last) two series against them (in Australia), so this is a big one. We feel like our team's in a really good place, so we've got no reason why we shouldn't perform really well.
“I just always expect us to do well against whoever we play. But India, particularly, is a big year, big season.”
After losing a Test series in India early last year, Australia went on to have a spectacular 2023 against world cricket's superpower.
Australia beat India comprehensively in the World Test Championship final at the Oval ahead of the Ashes, then upset the overwhelming World Cup favourites in the final at Ahmedabad to claim that title.
But of all the teams Australia have played during their past 16 Test series, India are the only opponents yet to be beaten in a series either home or away. That includes twice in Australia, during 2018-19, when Steve Smith and David Warner were suspended, and 2020-21.
That 20-21 series win by India was something special. India were bowled out for just 36 in their second innings during the first Test in Adelaide thanks to a superb bowling display on a grassy pitch which saw Josh Hazlewood claim five wickets and Cummins four.
Mohammed Shami did not bat in that second innings, having suffered a broken arm from a Cummins short ball earlier in the match which ruled him out of the tour. Virat Kohli returned home after the first Test in Adelaide in 2020 to be with his wife Anushka Sharma for the birth of their first child.
Remarkably, a depleted India turned the tables on Australia with an eight-wicket victory in Melbourne and the Sydney Test was drawn.
An unproductive last day for the Australians at the SCG prompted captain Tim Paine to tell Indian allrounder Ravichandran Ashwin, and the cricket world via stump mic, the bouncy Brisbane pitch would pose a greater challenge.
"Can't wait to get you to the Gabba, Ash," Paine said as Ashwin batted for more than three hours to ensure a draw.
But an injury-riddled India created history in the series finale, scoring 7-329 in the last innings to claim victory by three wickets.
