Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins has admitted to have not watched the recently concluded Asia Cup 2022 where the likes of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Hong Kong participated. Sri Lanka went on to win the title after beating Pakistan in the final on September 11 in Dubai.
India exited in the Super Four stage after losing to Pakistan and Sri Lanka. However, the signed off with a bang registering a massive win over Afghanistan in their last match of the tournament that saw Virat Kohli ending his century draught with a sparkling 122 not out – his first hundred in T20Is.
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Cummins, who is in India as part of the Australia’s T20I squad for a three-match series against their hosts, said he though knows that Kohli scored a century and predicted the star batter will be a challenge for his team.
“To be totally honest, I didn’t see any of that tournament (Asia Cup),” Cummins was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. “I think Sri Lanka won? Honestly, I didn’t see any of it. I saw Virat Kohli, I think he scored a hundred, yeah he’s a class player, he was always going to return to form at some point in time. He’s going to be a challenge this next week.”
The time zone difference could have played a big role in why Cummins would have given the continental tournament a miss.
The 29-year-old says Australia are geared up for the challenge of playing T20I in India which he felt moves at a different pace in the two countries.
“I think a lot of games in India are played at a different pace as compared to Australia, the boundaries are normally a bit smaller. I think you need to adapt really quickly, you will have some days where the wicket is a bit slower, then cutters and those types of things are really important for the bowlers,” Cummins said.
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“So, everyone here has played a lot in India and everyone understands it. It is a format you have to be up for, and if it does not work on the day, then you need to move on quickly from it,” he added.
The series starts from September 20 in Mohali.
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