Australia skipper Pat Cummins said ahead of the third Test against South Africa that the pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) has a “huge correlation” with Indian conditions and he hopes it will give his team some preparation time for the upcoming Test series in India. Will get the ideal opportunity. Australia lead the three-Test series against South Africa 2-0 and a win at the SCG would all but seal their place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval in June.
Australia have generally struggled in subcontinental conditions and a dry and spin-friendly pitch is expected at the SCG keeping in mind the tour of India in February. Cummins told reporters on Tuesday, “It has a huge connection with India. Fast bowling and reverse swing will play a big role in this which we can expect in India. There will probably be more overs of spin bowling here, our batsmen will probably face more spin here as well so it’s a really good combination.”
He said, “Captain here also personally can be a little different from the last few Test matches.” Australia are currently in a very strong position in the WTC points table with 10 wins in 14 Tests. In their last series before the final, Cummins and Co will face India, who are second with eight wins. Australia are eyeing the WTC final in June before taking on arch-rivals England in a five-Test Ashes series.
Cummins said, “It has been an inspiration for us in the last few years. I think playing the final against India in London, at a neutral venue, it’s really exciting. In the race for a place in the WTC final, New Zealand and India were left behind.
