Australia captain Pat Cummins says beating India in World Test Championship final shows "our best is as good as anyone else's in the world" as his side get set to face England in Ashes opener at Edgbaston - live on Sky Sports from Friday (9.30am on air, 11am first ball)
Thursday 15 June 2023 16:14, UK
Pat Cummins does not expect emotions to "bubble over" during The Ashes as Australia's World Test champions come up against England's Bazballers.
Urn holders Australia, looking to win a Test series in the UK for the first time since 2001, are facing an England side revitalised by captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, with the hosts winning 11 of 13 Tests since adopting a new aggressive style of cricket.
Australia head into Friday's Edgbaston opener following a 209-run win over India in the World Test Championship final at The Kia Oval.
Speaking on the eve of the first Ashes Test, visiting skipper Cummins said he doubted tempers would flare and insisted that his side are focused on themselves, not Stokes' swashbuckling England.
Australia have chosen their XI but will not reveal it publicly until the morning of the game.
"Our team is pretty chilled out there. We are quite a confident bunch but not overly loud or in your face. I think you have seen our personality reflected out on the field," said Cummins.
"I am sure there is going to be emotion at times but I would be surprised if that bubbled over like maybe it has in the past.
"We are big on playing what's in front of you. Some of our batters might take 200 balls to get a hundred which is absolutely fine. There are no big conversations around that except to go out and bat how you want to bat. That has worked over the last couple of years.
"You have an eye on the opposition and some planning but we have been amazing over the last 20 Test matches. You have seen a pretty similar style and we don't want to lose sight of that.
"Any of our decision-making with match-ups and field placements is about maximising our own strengths rather than being too focused on the opposition."
Australia trounced England 4-0 in the 2021/22 Ashes down under - mirroring the result they achieved in 2017/18 - while they drew 2-2 in England in 2019, a score that ended a run of four consecutive Ashes series defeats in the UK between 2005 and 2015.
Cummins said of this summer's contest: "We are pumped that it's here. As soon as one series finishes you are looking forward to the next one. This one in particular seems like it has a bit more on it. The whole cricketing world stops for a month to put their attention on it.
"I am sure we will be presented with a lot of different problems throughout this series, there will be surprises like there always are. But there are less unknowns than other tours - India's spinning wickets are probably more foreign than playing here.
"[After winning the World Test Championship], you look back and see our best is as good as anyone else's in the world. It hasn't changed expectations."
On whether he has changed as a captain since steering Australia to Ashes glory 18 month ago, Cummins said: "I don't think I am overly different to what I was 18 months ago. The team is basically the same and everyone is more experienced.
"Your gut feel and intuition gets better and maybe confidence knowing you have done it 15 or 20 times before. I am a little bit stronger with my beliefs."
England will be hoping for a similar outcome to four years ago in terms of David Warner's runs return with the opener, now 36, dismissed seven times by Stuart Broad from around the wicket and averaging just 9.50 from 10 innings.
Ahead of Warner and Broad doing battle again in Birmingham, Cummins added: "You might see a more aggressive Davey than 2019. He is itching to get out there and have another chance."
Watch The Ashes live on Sky Sports Cricket from Friday. Coverage from Edgbaston begins at 9.30am ahead of the first ball at 11am. You can also follow in-play clips and text commentary across Sky Sports' digital platforms throughout the five-Test series.
