Cricket Australia (CA) has decided to rest up their pace trio of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins from Sheffield Shield duties to keep them fresh for the upcoming four-match Test series against India starting from December 6 at the Adelaide Oval.

On Thursday (November 22), CA announced the 14-man squad for the first two Tests to be played in Adelaide and Perth and the trio is part of the squad against India.

The frontline bowlers were also rested from the ongoing three-match T20I series against India, and now the trio will have to skip the New South Wales Blues’ next Shield encounter against Western Australia on November 27 in Perth. They will also miss out on the next Shield match against South Australia.

Cummins told reporters in Sydney on Thursday, “I think Josh, Starcy and I are all going to rest up this Shield game and be right to go in Adelaide. Ideally, it would be nice to maybe sneak in another bowl, it’s about a 16-day gap, but that Shield game (at Perth Stadium) is probably a bit too close to the test match. Just in case you’re out in the field for two or three days and suddenly have a quick turnaround.”

Meanwhile, the fitness will be crucial for Australia in their quest to upset India in the Test series and Cummins said they will try to get themselves in the best position.

He added, “I feel like we’ve done that, especially Joshy and I -- we’ve had six months off -- a little bit of cricket recently but basically six months of getting our bodies right, getting really fresh and making sure when that first test comes that we’re flat out and ready for a long summer.”

Cummins signed off by saying, “I couldn’t be happier with where I am, and I think the other boys are the same. There’s no real niggles or anything we’re worried about. We’ll see what happens. Hopefully, we don’t spend five days in the field every test, get through them all.”

(With Reuters Inputs)