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Addressing the speculation around India captain Virat Kohli’s availability for the series, MSK Prasad said the India captain’s workload would also be looked at after the Tests

Vishal Dikshit in Mumbai23-Oct-20174:46

Chopra: Dhawan should be Vijay’s opening partner

Opening batsman M Vijay has returned to India’s Test side for the first two Tests against Sri Lanka. Vijay had missed the Tests on the Sri Lanka tour due to a wrist injury. The three-Test series against Sri Lanka will begin from November 16 in Kolkata.

India squad for first two Tests

Virat Kohli (capt), M Vijay, KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Vijay’s return was the only change to India’s squad which had toured Sri Lanka earlier this year, with Abhinav Mukund making way. Axar Patel, who had come as Ravindra Jadeja’s replacement following the latter’s suspension for the Pallekele Test, was left out.In the lead-up to the selection committee meeting in Mumbai, there was some speculation that Virat Kohli would be rested. The had reported that Kohli had asked for personal time off in December, when India and Sri Lanka are slated to play the third Test and the six limited-overs matches. Since the Test squad has been announced only for the first two games, which will be played in November, there is still a possibility of Kohli getting time off.”With regard to Virat Kohli there has been some speculation that he’s going to be rested for the whole of Sri Lanka series,” India’s chairman of selectors, MSK Prasad, said. “It’s not right. Yes, as far as Test series is concerned, he’s going to play and at some point of time, the rotation policy that we’re following will also apply to the captain. We’re also monitoring his workload – he’s been playing continuously right from the IPL. We need to give him a break and we will consider after the Test series.”

India Board President’s XI for tour match v SL

Naman Ojha (capt, wk), Sanju Samson, Jiwanjot Singh, B Sandeep, Tanmay Agarwal, Abhishek Gupta, Rohan Prem, Akash Bhandari, Jalaj Saxena, CV Milind, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Warrier, Ravi Kiran.

Kohli had recently spoken about India’s “hectic” schedule, before the start of the ODI series against New Zealand and had hinted that some “key batsmen” would also be rested before the upcoming away tours in 2018. Prasad did not identify which players would be rested and only said the workload of all players was being monitored.”Considering the workload and considering the international schedule we have right now, we are definitely rotating the players,” he said. “And it is too premature to say right now [who will be rested]. If you see the pattern with which we are selecting and we will let you know at an appropriate time. One thing is for sure that we are definitely going to rotate and monitor the workload of the players.”The selectors also announced the Board President’s XI for a two-day practice match against Sri Lanka, scheduled for November 11 and 12 in Kolkata. Led by wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha, the squad features players whose teams will not play the Ranji Trophy round that is scheduled to begin on November 12. The team includes Sanju Samson, Jalaj Saxena and 20-year-old Madhya Pradesh seamer Avesh Khan.

Lindsay Tuckett, the former South Africa fast bowler who was the world’s oldest surviving Test cricketer, has died aged 97 in Bloemfontein

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2016Lindsay Tuckett, the former South Africa fast bowler who was the world’s oldest surviving Test cricketer, has died aged 97 in Bloemfontein. Tuckett played nine Tests for South Africa between June 1947 and March 1949.Tuckett made his first-class debut for Orange Free State in March 1935, shortly after his 16th birthday. When cricket resumed after the Second World War, Tuckett became one of South Africa’s leading bowlers and was picked for the tour of England in 1947, where he made his debut in the first Test at Trent Bridge.Tuckett began his Test career with a five-for, but was hampered by a groin injury on the tour and finished with 15 wickets in five matches at an average of 44.26. His next international appearance came during England’s [Marylebone Cricket Club] tour of South Africa in 1948-49. Tuckett bowled the last over of the dramatic Durban Test, which ended with a two-wicket victory for England, secured off the final ball. Tuckett’s returns in the series were four wickets for 316 runs, and he played his last Test match in that series. His tally of 19 international wickets included two five-fors.Tuckett took 225 wickets from 61 matches in a first-class between 1934-35 and 1954-55. This included a haul of 32 wickets in the 1951-52 season at an average of 17.59.Tuckett’s father was former South Africa Test cricketer Len, and his uncle, medium-pacer Joe Cox, was also a former Test cricketer.Former South Africa allrounder John Watkins is now the oldest living Test cricketer in the world, aged 93.

American fielding coach Mike Young says he is eager to start working with players in the USA as he comes back to America later this month ahead of the ICC Americas Combine in Indianapolis in September

Peter Della Penna16-Jul-2015American fielding coach Mike Young, who has been employed in Australia on and off since 2002, says he is eager to start working with players in the USA as he comes back to America later this month ahead of the ICC Americas Combine in Indianapolis in September. Following the announcement of his involvement in the combine, Young said he believes fate has taken his career a full circle to bring him back home.”I believe that my background in the sport and in baseball, but obviously in cricket, I believe this is what I was meant to do and things happen for a reason,” Young told ESPNcricinfo. “The combine is a start. I think we’re on a great track right now with the ICC. This combine is a good start and will pull some people together. I’ve worked with Courtney Walsh before and he’s a great guy. Obviously he was a fantastic bowler and knows the game. What [ICC’s] Tom Evans and Tim Anderson are doing, they have to be highly complimented for their passion in trying to get this thing kicked off. That inspires me so I’m going in and the combine for me is just a start. To me it’s a rebirth for me and my coaching career.”Young, 59, most recently worked with Australia as a fielding consultant during their World Cup triumph but was first involved with the team under coach John Buchanan during Steve Waugh’s captaincy in 2002. He said he has been following USA’s progress, or lack thereof, from afar ever since he was on the opposite sidelines during Australia’s encounter with USA at the 2004 Champions Trophy in England, a match Australia won by nine wickets, chasing 66 in under eight overs.”I remember being proud to see them actually playing in a world tournament,” Young said. “I had just gotten into the sport myself and it was actually the first time that I took notice that USA has a team in a world tournament so there was something going on. We had the best team in the world so I didn’t expect them to win but I remember their enthusiasm. I had a few chats with guys afterwards. For me it was inspirational.”The amount of players there, the amount of enthusiasm, the expats there that follow cricket, it’s immense in the United States. You have to tap into it and do it in the right professional way. I’m excited but I remember that sitting there on my own. I’ve been an Australian citizen for years as well but having come from the United States, seeing those guys out there was surreal. I kept in touch with some of the players. I know there are guys who play around Chicago. I had written to the [USACA] over the years in the past to try and keep my hand in it.”Young said despite numerous attempts to offer his services to USACA over the years, the only time they took him up on it was during Darren Beazley’s time as chief executive in 2013. Beazley and then USACA high performance officer Andy Pick recruited Young to be a part of the team’s Florida preparation camp in October 2013 before they went for the World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE. Young said he was immediately struck by how hard the players were working despite their amateur status and balancing life with day jobs.”One thing that I was really impressed by was their wanting to be there,” he said. “I spent a lot of time talking to them, just talking and not getting caught up in nonsense about the sport, just talking to them as athletes and how proud they were to be representing their country. It’s our job to motivate and inspire them and give them the best situation possible. It’s not going to happen overnight but it has to start somewhere. That’s the exciting aspect of this combine.”As an American, Young also feels he will bring a unique perspective in helping to bring up the standards of the team both on the field and administratively. Ironically, he has found his greatest success overseas but believes that his understanding of mainstream American sports culture will allow him to connect with stakeholders in a way others have not been able to accomplish.”Being the only American to work at the highest in professional cricket, three World Cup wins, Ashes, IPL, I have a good feel,” Young said. “I also have a different perception having spent a lot of years in professional baseball in America and internationally, I look at the sport in a different light. I see creative areas where we can do things with the sport. I understand the American culture and some things potentially may not work there that will work in India.”That background of being an American and understanding it I think is massive. I’ve seen Americans come over to Australia who are very competent and try to work in baseball here because they worked in baseball in America but they struggle because they don’t understand the Australian culture, the sociological impact when they talk to people. That’s where I think I can play a massive role.”

India were hurtling towards a 0-3 score line in the cold of Delhi, until their bowlers rallied in conditions that offered seam and spin

The Report by George Binoy06-Jan-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
BCCI

Not since the winter of 1983, when Clive Lloyd’s West Indies avenged their loss in the World Cup final, had India been whitewashed in an ODI series at home. Following their third poor batting performance against Pakistan, India were hurtling towards a 0-3 score line in the cold of Delhi, until their bowlers rallied in conditions that offered seam and spin, applying relentless pressure until Misbah-ul-Haq’s team cracked in the dead rubber.As Yuvraj Singh, pursued by team-mates, went off on a celebratory run and slide after catching Mohammad Hafeez in the penultimate over to secure a hard-fought victory, the exuberant celebrations on the field and in the stands at the Kotla were a release of emotion from a country that has had precious little to celebrate in cricket in recent times.An Indian victory, however, had appeared unlikely after their batsmen had crumbled against Pakistan’s versatile attack. A raw seam attack, spearheaded by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the debutant Shami Ahmed, had only 167 to defend and they went about it manfully. Ahmed began his spell with two maiden overs and continued to bowl with economy. Bhuvneshwar nipped out two early wickets with inswingers and bowled his ten overs on the trot, leaving Pakistan 55 for 2 after 19 overs.

Smart stats

• The ten-run win is India’s third lowest against Pakistan (in terms of runs) overall and their lowest in home ODIs against Pakistan. The lowest (four runs) was in Quetta in 1978.

• The run aggregate in the game (324 runs) is the third lowest in an ODI in India in matches where both sides have been bowled out. It is also the second lowest aggregate in an India-Pakistan game, after the 212 runs in Sharjah in 1985.

• For only the fourth time in India-Pakistan matches overall, and the first time since 1996 in Toronto, there was not a single half-century in the game. It is also the second such instance in Delhi.

• Saeed Ajmal’s 5 for 24 is the fifth best performance by a Pakistan bowler against India. However, it is the second best by a Pakistan bowler in a defeat against India, after Imran Khan’s 6 for 14 in 1985.

During that period, India’s fielding was at its best, with Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja throwing their bodies around on a chilly evening to cut off fluent flicks and drives. The only easy runs Pakistan got were two leg-side wides from the offspinner R Ashwin that beat MS Dhoni and sped to the boundary.Pakistan rebuilt through Misbah, who batted doggedly for 39 off 82 balls, first with Nasir Jamshed and then with Umar Akmal. Both those stands were ended by Ashwin, and at 113 for 4 in difficult batting conditions, India were gaining ground. They received a lucky break, when Shoaib Malik was adjudged lbw to Ishant Sharma though he was hit outside the line, and Akmal charged Ravindra Jadeja too early and was stumped.Only Hafeez, batting at No. 7 because of an injury while bowling, stood between India and victory and he was dropped by Rahane in the 42nd over, a straightforward chance at leg slip. He dragged his team towards the target and had to refuse singles with the No. 11 Mohammad Irfan, after Pakistan had lost three wickets in eight balls. With 23 runs needed in the last two overs, Hafeez hit two boundaries before holing out to off Ishant.Any immediate anguish Pakistan felt, however, quickly dissipated as their players, heavily jacketed in the misty evening, celebrated a 2-1 series victory.That India had at least 167 to defend was largely down to Dhoni, who was Man of the Match for his captaincy and his 36 off 55 balls, and Jadeja. Having left out Virender Sehwag to give Rahane a run, India lost three early wickets to the pace and swing of Mohammad Irfan and Junaid Khan. And they continued to struggle against Saeed Ajmal, who dismissed Suresh Raina and Ashwin off successive deliveries on his way to a five-wicket haul. India were 111 for 6 in the 29th over. Dhoni immediately carted Hafeez for his third six over deep midwicket and in a later over he inflicted the blow – a flat smash – that forced the Pakistan opener down the order.Dhoni fell in the 35th over and Jadeja, because he was running out of partners, began to attack and score what he could. He hit a towering straight six off Umar Gul, and another off Ajmal over cow corner, but his riposte ended on 27. India were dismissed in the 44th over, but the wasted resources did not cost them the game.

Hobart Hurricanes won their fourth game in a row, thanks to a collective effort from their bowlers and an unbeaten 45 from Owais Shah in the chase against Sydney Thunder

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jan-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Owais Shah steered Hobart Hurricanes home in the chase•Getty Images

Hobart Hurricanes won their fourth game in a row, thanks to a collective effort from their bowlers and an unbeaten 45 from Owais Shah in the chase against Sydney Thunder.The Hurricanes bowlers, after Thunder chose to bat, bowled economical spells, three of them going for under six an over. An explosive start from Chris Gayle, who made 53 in 32 balls, smashing five sixes, and his 53-run stand with Sean Abbott threatened to take the game away from the Hurricanes. Xavier Doherty, the left-arm spinner, came in for stick, conceding 45 in his four overs. But from 114 for 2, Thunder slipped to 138 for 8. Naved-ul-Hasan picked up three wickets and was ably supported by Matt Johnston and Ben Laughlin.The Hurricanes, in their chase, lost Phil Jacques in the first over but Jonathan Wells and Travis Birt put together a half-century stand for the second wicket. Wells was the third wicket to fall after a patient 29, but Shah and Tom Triffitt added 38 for the fourth wicket. Despite the loss of a couple of quick wickets, Shah kept the charge on from one end, making an unbeaten 41 in 32 balls and steering Hurricanes to victory by five wickets.

Brian Lara has been invited by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board to represent the side in domestic Twenty20 events if he is interested

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Dec-2010Brian Lara has been invited by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board to represent the side in domestic Twenty20 events if he is interested.”There is only one Brian Lara in this world, and if he is interested in representing T&T at T20 cricket, I am sure the selectors will be more than willing to give him a very serious look,” TTCB president Azim Bassarath said. “Brian has done a lot for cricket. He is a hero, a legend and we have to take care of our heroes. I would like him to know that the TTCB stands ready to support him in his future endeavours.”Lara retired from the international game in 2007, but returned to action in October this year when he turned out in the Zimbabwe domestic Twenty20 tournament. He has also expressed an interest is participating in the 2011 edition of the India Premier League, and has been included in the preliminary auction list, at the highest base price of $400,000.Bassarath hoped Lara would play in the Cricket Festival T20 series starting Tuesday. “I spoke to Brian and offered him an opportunity to play in the T20 invitational,” Bassarath said. “However, he flew into Trinidad on Thursday night and said he would be off again on Monday so it will be difficult to take part in the series.”Earlier Lara told ESPNcricinfo that the league in Zimbabwe was not the toughest. “If I was to give myself a chance to play in the IPL, then I need to start now,” he said. “I tried negotiating with Surrey in May and that fell through. I am not going to say that I am ready for the IPL. The option is around the corner, and I have put my name in the hat. But I need to play cricket regularly from now till then to get fit and capable of doing justice to the game and to my form in such a highly competitive league.”

After weeks of uncertainty, the league has finally devised a ‘silent tiebreaker bid’ that, it considers, would end the impassé with regard to equal franchise bids for a player

Nagraj Gollapudi17-Jan-2010An important question ahead of Tuesday’s IPL auction is: If there are equal bids for a player, how do you break the deadlock? After weeks of uncertainty, the league has finally devised a ‘silent tiebreaker bid’ that, according to the organisers, would end the impasse. The proposal, though, has met with objections from various franchises.The method may be used in a scenario where a player has attracted the maximum bid – each franchise has a cap of US$750,000 in total to spend at the auction – from more than one franchise. The franchises would then have to put in a separate, additional bid – to which there will be no cap – to break the tie. Whoever submits the higher additional bid will get the player. However, the controversial part is that the additional amount would go to the IPL and not the player.To simplify the new rule: take an example where two teams are bidding for a player at $750,000. Both would then be asked to submit a fresh bid. In case one of the two submits a new bid of $800,000, the player still receives $750,000 and the additional $50,000 goes to the IPL.Understandably, the franchises are reluctant to shell out more money, especially when they know the investment would last only till the end of the year. The proposal was suggested to the franchises on Saturday but most of them objected because they strictly do not want to spend more than the $750,000 purse available to them for the auction on January 19.”Most of the franchises are not at all happy with it and objected to the proposal on the basic principle that the sanctity of the purse must be protected,” a franchise official told Cricinfo.His suggestion, echoed by few other franchises, to resolve the issue was there should be a lucky draw. “If there are equal competing bids, then you draw lots”.However, Lalit Modi, on his Twitter page made it clear that the tie-breaker rule “will be enforced”. “It’s part of the 2010 IPL auction rules, so anyone not agreeing is a non-issue.”

Worcestershire close second day five down after Tongue takes out top three in fiery burst of 9-1-24-3

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay09-Sep-2025A searing burst from Josh Tongue put Nottinghamshire back in the box seat after Worcestershire fought back well on the second day of their Rothesay County Championship match at Visit Worcestershire New Road.Nottinghamshire’s first-innings lead was restricted to 25 after they were bowled out for 207. Freddie McCann defied for 56 (106 balls) but Tom Taylor took 4 for 70 and Ben Allison 3 for 41 while wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick took five catches.The game had evened right up but Worcestershire closed the second day on 93 for 5 after Tongue took out the top three in a fiery burst of 9-1-24-3. With the pitch still helping seamers, Nottinghamshire won’t want to chase many in the fourth innings, but are well-placed to push for a win to keep them on the shoulders of leaders Surrey ahead of their mouth-watering meeting at The Oval next week.Nottinghamshire resumed on the second morning on 46 for 1 to find the pitch still lively. Allison soon produced a perfect away-cutter that Ben Slater edged to Roderick.McCann and Joe Clarke added 50 in 17 overs before McCann, having gritted out a valuable half-century, drove at a wide ball from Matthew Waite and Roderick accepted another catch. The slip cordon remained on high alert. Jake Libby, at second, pouched Jack Haynes off Allison. Clarke dug in for 122 minutes before nicking a waft at the same bowler.From an uneasy 121 for 5, the title-chasers were rebooted by Lyndon James’ punchy 42-ball 35 but Taylor ended the counter-attack by inducing another nick and pinned Liam Patterson-White lbw two balls later. Kyle Verreynne steered his side in front then edged Taylor to second slip.Former Pears pair Dillon Pennington and Tongue added a handy 23 before falling in five balls, the former lbw to Allison and the latter supplying Roderick with his fifth catch, off Waite.With the game so evenly-poised, a mammoth evening session – 49 overs – promised to be pivotal. Only 36 were possible before bad light intervened but Nottinghamshire made serious inroads.Tongue trapped Rehaan Edavalath lbw and dismissed Libby, caught at second slip, with a lifter so brutal it invoked comparison with Allan Donald, Curtly Ambrose and Percy Jeeves. Catching of similar quality followed from McCann, a one-handed, diving grab at second slip to remove Dan Lategan off James that invoked comparison with Graham Roope, Rikki Clarke and Ashley Giles.Tongue then knocked out Kashif Ali’s off-stump and James hit Brett D’Oliveira’s. At 68 for 5, Worcestershire were in danger of speeding to a defeat which would pretty much seal their relegation but Roderick and Ethan Brookes stayed firm until the light closed in to keep this fascinating match very much alive.

They had slipped to fifth after the defeat in Hyderabad, but are now firmly back on top

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-2024 • Updated on 11-Mar-20242:35

How significant is this series win for India?

India have extended their lead at the top of the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) points table by beating England in Dharamsala to win the five-match series 4-1.The 4-1 series win also helped India overtake Australia at the top of the ICC’s Test rankings and they remain No. 1 even though Australia beat New Zealand in Christchurch. India are also the top-ranked ODI and T20I side at present.How the WTC points table looks after the conclusion of the New Zealand vs Australia Test series•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

India had slipped to fifth place in the WTC points table after losing the first Test of the series against England in Hyderabad, but climbed back up to No. 1 by winning the next three matches. The innings victory in Dharamsala extended their percentage points to 68.51%, having earned 74 out of 108 points after playing nine matches (six wins, two defeats, one draw) in the ongoing WTC cycle.According to the WTC points system, a team gets 12 points for a Test win, six for a tie, four for a draw, and nothing for a defeat. And they are ranked according to the percentage of points won because each team plays a different number of Tests in the WTC cycle.Points are also deducted for slow over rate penalties, which is why England have only 21 points despite winning three Tests in this WTC cycle. They have lost 19 points for slow over-rate penalties and are in eighth place with only 17.5 percentage points after playing ten Tests.Related

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Australia are presently second with 62.50% points and New Zealand are third at 50%. With only a Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Test series to go before the IPL season begins on March 22, India are set to remain No. 1 for a few months.Bangladesh, on fourth place behind New Zealand in the WTC points table, have played only one series in the ongoing cycle. They are followed by Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa, England and Sri Lanka.The top two teams at the end of the WTC cycle will play the final at Lord’s in June 2025. India had qualified for both the previous WTC finals so far, but lost to New Zealand in 2021 and Australia in 2023.

With a tough away series in India to follow, it is crucial for Australia to maximise their points in their home series this summer

Alex Malcolm29-Nov-20221:16

Usman Khawaja focused on West Indies first

When Australia won the T20 World Cup in 2021, there was feeling that they had finally secured that one global trophy that had long eluded them. But the reality is there is another trophy, albeit newly created, that quite literally slipped through their fingers in 2021.Australia missed the 2021 World Test Championship final because they were docked points for slow over-rates. Pat Cummins, Australia’s captain, admitted on the eve of the first home Test of a new summer – and the first of nine Test matches leading into the 2023 WTC final – that his side didn’t realise what they had missed out on at the time.”I think being new, it probably didn’t hit us until the game was actually played and you saw over there New Zealand did well and you wish you were there,” Cummins said on Tuesday in Perth. “So it feels like second time around it’s got a little bit more on it. It felt like a big missed opportunity that first one. So it certainly gives a bit more context to every series now, something big to play for.”While there is a general malaise about Australian men’s cricket right now for a variety of reasons, with fears the Perth public are unlikely to turn out in droves to watch the first Test played in this city since 2019, every Test match has meaning now for this Australian team.Related

• Race to the WTC final: Australia in pole position; India and Pakistan bank on home advantage

• Warner eyes Test retirement within a year

• Australia's Test return to Perth likely to prove a tough sell

• Pat Cummins: There are no cowards in the Australian team

“The big series, say Ashes or India series where you play four or five Test matches are obviously big battles, whereas the more common series where you play two or three in a series, it gives them a bit more global context and something a bit extra to play for,” Cummins said.The Australian public may not fully realise it, still yearning for a clash with the West Indies of old, but this two-Test series has a lot riding on it. Australia currently leads the World Test Championship table and are in pole position to make the final in England next year.For the first time too, Cummins and a few of his teammates have begun talking about the significance of the next eight months of Test cricket for a group of players that are closing in on the end of their Test careers.It could be the last shot at Test Championship glory for this group of seniors•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

David Warner, Steven Smith, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood are all in their 30s, with Warner, Khawaja and Lyon on the other side of 35, having formed the backbone of the Australian Test side over the past 10 years. Alex Carey and Marcus Harris, who are also in the squad, are also 30 plus, while Cummins will be 30 in May next year.Warner has already hinted this could be his final 12 months in Test cricket, although he walked those quotes back in the lead-up to the Test in Perth, while Khawaja admitted the team would head into a transition phase sooner rather than later, something Cummins hoped would be later but confirmed was on the horizon.”In the next six or seven months we have got 15 Test matches, hopefully, there won’t be any turnover before that but of course, it is coming,” Cummins said. “To be honest it is the most stable team I have played in ever. You could probably have picked the side 12 months ago. I feel like we are in a good spot.”An eight-month stretch of Test cricket, featuring 15 Tests against West Indies and South Africa at home, India and England away, and the WTC final if they get there, is a golden opportunity for a group that hasn’t collected as many major Test trophies as perhaps their collective talent warrants, despite being ranked No.1 in the world at present. There is a sense that those 15 Tests could cement a legacy as a great Australian team.”I think it is such an exciting opportunity for our group, to play four of the biggest series you are ever going to play as an Aussie Test cricketer within six or seven months, that is a once a career opportunity,” Cummins said. “That’s all ahead of us, that’s exciting. Obviously, a home summer is always big, with a World Test Championship, that’s something big to play for. We get a few wins here it pretty much guarantees our spot in London. We have all come here fresh. We know it’s a big block of cricket and we are excited for it.”But they cannot afford any slip-ups as they did in 2021. They have already let moments slip in Test cricket this year that could have put them in an even stronger position on the WTC table. They failed to close out the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney in January, as England survived nine-down, and did likewise in Karachi in March when they dropped a number of catches as Pakistan survived 171.4 overs in the fourth innings. They also lost by an innings in Galle, having been 204 for 2 on day one against Sri Lanka after winning the toss.Anything short of winning all five Tests at home this summer against West Indies and South Africa could leave them vulnerable to missing the WTC final again, given they have a tough four-Test tour of India to negotiate in February and March, having won only one Test there in 14 since the 2004 series triumph.Neither opponent at home will be easy to navigate, with West Indies undefeated in Test cricket in 2022 while South Africa sits second on the WTC table despite losing their last two Tests in England midyear.Australia are acutely aware of the opportunity that presents itself. They now must take it with both hands.