The wait is almost over and the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 Test between India and Australia is just hours away. The two giants of world cricket will play five Tests in five Australian cities with the series having massive implications for the World Test Championship final qualification. (Full Coverage | Streaming | Cricket News)
Perth's Optus Stadium is all decked up for the first Test between India and Australia which begins Friday, November 22. Australia are being led by Pat Cummins while Jasprit Bumrah has taken over India captaincy responsibility from Rohit Sharma who remains unavailable for the opening Test.
Bumrah and Cummins both faced press on the eve of the series opener. The duo provided answers on a variety of topics ahead of the match. Here is what the two captains said in the pre-match press conference.
Jasprit Bumrah (India captain)
On captaincy
"I don't look at captaincy as a post but I have always loved responsibility. I wanted to do the tough job since I was a child. You want to do things and get thrown in tough scenarios, this adds a new challenge for me."
On future captaincy
"Obviously, I won't be telling Rohit ki main kar leta hoon (I would do this) (laughs). He is our captain and he is doing a wonderful job and right now it's one game and you don't know what will happen tomorrow. In the next game, things change and that's how cricket works. Right now, I am in the present. I have been given a responsibility. I did it once and enjoyed it thoroughly. I am thinking how I can contribute to the best of my capacity. Future, I can't control it."
On NZ series loss
"When you win you start from zero but when you lose, then also you also start from zero. We are not carrying any baggage from India. Yes, we have our learnings from New Zealand series but those were different conditions and our results here have been different,"
On Nitish Kumar Reddy
“Reddy is quite talented and we are positive about him. You have seen in IPL also, he believes in his game.”
On Virat Kohli's form
“I don't have to say anything about Kohli the batter. I have made my (Test) debut under him. I don't need to give him any kind of special inputs and he is the utmost professional you have in our team and he is one of the leaders.”
Pat Cummins (Australia captain)
On the significance of BGT
"Border-Gavaskar Trophy has always been very tight every series, five Test-match series gets really attritional, it's a big one really.
"There will always be pressure when you are playing at home. India are a very talented side and it will be a good challenge. But we are not looking too far ahead.
"It would be great to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India are a great side but we are well prepared."
On Nathan McSweeney
"Davey is very hard to replace, in many ways. I think the most important thing for someone like Nath, who is coming in, is just to play his own game. He doesn't need to strike it (at), you know, 80 like David did, if that's not his game.
"So for them (McSweeney and Khawaja), I would love to see them bring the best out of each other, they have played a little bit and batted a bit together for Queensland. But yeah, I think for both of them, it's about bringing what they bring to the table.
"You know, for Uzzie, it's about getting the bowlers to come back and back and back again. And I think Nath is pretty similar in that regard."
On distraction by IPL Auction
"So, for the players, I don't think so. Most of these guys have been there in the auctions before. They know they can't really do anything. You are a sitting duck and seeing whether you get selected or not. It doesn't... doesn't make a difference to how we go about the first two days. It is not a distraction as far as I can see it."
On pace bowlers as captains
"It should happen more (pacers leading teams)."
