Australia captain Pat Cummins wants his side to respond to last week’s defeat to Bangladesh by returning to the level of cricket that had produced a strong run of results before the series opener.
Bangladesh claimed a nine-wicket victory in Darwin, leaving Australia needing to win the second Test in Mackay to level the series. Cummins acknowledged Australia were below their best in the opening match but gave credit to Bangladesh for their performance.
“I certainly felt like we didn’t play anywhere near our best, and they played really well – and they deserved to win,” Cummins said on Friday. The captain believes Australia do not need to make major changes to their approach ahead of the second Test.
“I think it’s going back to when we play well,” he said. “Fortunately, we’ve got a decent body of work to look back on. I thought our prep was excellent, so I think everyone’s in pretty good nick. It’s just about translating that form into actually good results.”
Australia have spent the week preparing for conditions expected to offer more pace and bounce than the surface in Darwin. Cummins said the focus remains on executing their plans rather than overreacting to the first Test.
The hosts are also backing Nathan Lyon after the spinner endured an expensive outing in Darwin, where he took one wicket for 125 runs. Cummins said the conditions played a part in Lyon’s struggles.
Australia have retained Marnus Labuschagne at No.3 despite his modest returns in the opening Test. Labuschagne scored 1 and 31 in Darwin, but Cummins believes his preparation has been encouraging.
“The last couple of months, I know it’s only training and centre wickets and match simulations, but I thought he’s been as sharp as he has for a long time,” he said.
Cummins added that Labuschagne should not feel the need to change his approach after one poor Test.
“Last week was a bit of a blip,” he said. “You don’t need to reinvent the wheel after last week. Trust the work that he’s put in the last six months.”
With Bangladesh one win away from taking the series, Cummins knows Australia must turn their preparation into a better performance when the second Test begins on Saturday.
