Australia captain Pat Cummins has played down suggestions that inadequate preparation was behind his side’s unexpected Test defeat to Bangladesh, insisting the team would have prepared in exactly the same way for a more high-profile series.
Australia were beaten by nine wickets in the opening Test in August after a poor batting performance allowed Bangladesh to take control. The hosts responded strongly in the second match, winning by an innings inside two days to level the series.
The contrasting results led to questions over whether Australia had underestimated the challenge or lacked sufficient preparation for the tour.
Cummins rejected that assessment. He said Australia had entered the series in good shape, with the squad fit and ready to play, and would not have approached the contest differently had it been part of the Ashes against England.
“I think we would have prepped exactly the same,” Cummins said on the Keepin’ it Cricket podcast.
The Test captain acknowledged that Australia would review their performance after a defeat but insisted preparation was not the reason for the loss.
“I just don’t think we played very well,” he said. According to Cummins, Bangladesh also played a major role in Australia’s struggles, putting the visitors under pressure throughout the match and preventing them from settling into their game.
“I don’t think it was a lack of prep. I just don’t think we were at our best, and Bangladesh played brilliantly and didn’t really let us in,” he said.
Australia’s next Test challenge will come in South Africa, where they are scheduled to play a three-match series. Cummins will not feature in the preceding ODI series against Zimbabwe.
The Test tour will also mark Australia’s first return to South Africa since the infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
Cummins does not expect the controversy to overshadow the cricket. While he acknowledged there could be hostility from sections of the crowd and renewed media attention, he believes the players will quickly move beyond the events of eight years ago.
“There might be a little bit of hostility,” Cummins said, adding that his team had “moved on”.
