Fri Nov 08 13:57:59 UTC 2024: ## Australia Captain Shifts Focus to Red-Ball Cricket Ahead of India Series

**Adelaide, Australia** – Australian captain Pat Cummins has announced he will be focusing solely on red-ball cricket and the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India, starting with the first Test in Perth on November 22.

Cummins, along with fellow star bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, and key batsmen Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith, will miss the final ODI against Pakistan on November 8. This decision comes after Australia suffered a disappointing 9-wicket defeat in the second ODI, with the team struggling to score 163 runs.

“We have a week at home, good training sessions needed, mind now switches to the red ball,” Cummins said after the loss. He attributed the defeat to a lackluster performance by the Australian batsmen and acknowledged that they need to improve their batting.

“Wasn’t one of our best days. They bowled well, but we should have done better and scored more than 160,” Cummins said.

While expressing confidence in Josh Inglis, who will captain the team for the final ODI and the upcoming T20I series, Cummins stated that he will leave him to lead the team without interference.

The highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which pits Australia against India in a four-match Test series, will kick off in Perth and continue through Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney, with the final Test concluding on January 7, 2025.

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