Border Gavaskar Trophy: India series will be acid test for Pat Cummins, says Allan Border

Legendary Australia cricketer Allan Border has praised Pat Cummins’s performance as the captain of Australia but also said that next month’s India series will be an “acid test” for him and his men.

Australia will kick-start the marquee four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy in Nagpur from February 9 with the intention of winning their first Test series in India in 19 years. 

“That is going to be acid test for him and the team,” Border was quoted speaking to ABC Sport. Having been elevated to the hot seat after Tim Paine’s sudden resignation ahead of the Ashes 2021, the Aussie pace spearhead has had a golden run.

Cummins began his captaincy stint winning the Ashes winning it 4-0, then won against Pakistan 1-0, the West Indies 2-0, and South Africa 2-0. 

The results mean Australia are favourites to make their maiden World Test Championships final. The Indian series will be the last series in the WTC calendar before they take on England in the Ashes with an eye to win on English soil for the first time since 2001.

“The next 12 months is the real test for that side and Pat's (Cummins) captaincy in particular because India is just about the last frontier for the Australian cricket team.”

“We haven't won there very often. It's a hard place to play and a hard place to win and England is the same,” the 67-year-old said.

The former Australian batter added that he was concerned about Cummins leading the Test side but he has ensured that it didn't affect his bowling.

“I was not as keen to see a fast bowler (appointed captain), not necessarily the individual but more just the fact that he's our number-one fast bowler. But he's proved so many people wrong and he's handled that so well,” Border said.

“Maybe the make-up of the team has helped, where he's got quite a few senior players that he can bounce things off and they can sort of take over to a certain degree when he's got the ball in his hand when he's bowling.” 

“I take my hat off to him. He's done fantastically well. They look like a happy side. They're playing very good cricket and that's all you can do as captain.”