Donning the captain's hat for a moment, Australian vice-captain and ace quick, Pat Cummins, feels the men at the helm have a task on their hands managing tactics when it comes to the D/N Tests as the game moves at a "slightly different pace".
The Australians are well versed with the challenge, having won all the day-night encounters played at home till date. But Cummins said there is always a sense of excitement when they approach a pink-ball Test.
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"We are just a little bit, won’t say nervous but excited, knowing that the game moves at a slightly different pace to a normal Test match. You can have some sessions under the lights where the balls just zip around,” Cummins told his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders' website kkr.in.
"After dinner, when the light takes effect, just for whatever reason it seems like the ball zips around a bit more."
"You can have some periods in a Test match a bit like a one-dayer, where the ball doesn’t swing, doesn’t seam and all of a sudden out of nowhere, it starts zipping around under the lights."
"It’s just another dynamic of the game. It’s a tactic that the captains have to manage — when to bat and when to bowl."
Cummins also believes the return of Steve Smith and David Warner will hold the Australians in good stead. The two key batsmen weren't there when the Indian team last toured down under and registered a memorable 2-1 Test series win.
"We like to pride ourselves in winning all our home series. So yeah, definitely been looking forward to this one for a couple of years now. India had a better side than us a couple of years ago … even though we shared patches I think overall, we were outplayed by them in that series," he said.
"David and Smith coming back into the side, they are two of the best batters in the world, so of course it helps. We’ve also got a couple of younger guys who have now become really mature players like Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne etc. so that’s a big help."
Cummins also spoke about his young KKR teammate Shubman Gill, the prodigious right-hand batsman from Punjab, who is in contention for a Test debut in Adelaide.
Asked whether he has prepared any plans for Gill having seen him bat from close quarters in UAE, Cummins said "I haven’t really. Maybe I should have, might be too late now."
"I think every time India comes to Australia, there is a story of one or two young guys who kind of make a name for themselves in our Aussie conditions."
"Yeah Shubi (Shubman) is obviously a class player, and it will be interesting to see if he gets picked for India. (If he does) there might even be some friendly banter out on the field between the two of us," he added.
(Inputs from PTI)
