Australian captain Pat Cummins says he’s ready to go for the first Test against South Africa which kicks off on Saturday in Brisbane.
After missing Australia’s fixture against the West Indies in Adelaide with a quad injury, Cummins returns to the XI to lead the side against the third-ranked Test nation in the world.
With a two-week break under his belt, Cummins says the layoff has him as fresh as he’s ever been heading into a series.
“I’m feeling 100 per cent,” Cummins told SEN Cricket.
“I had a great preparation, if anything I’m as fresh as I’ve ever been going into a Test series.
“I’m really excited.”
After regaining strength in his quad, Cummins says he’s been ready to go for the last week as he’s ramped up the intensity of his preparation.
“Part of the rehab process was just stepping up the intensity a little bit,” Cummins explained.
“There was a lot of gym work and running and then the last week or so I’ve been having a couple of bowls.
“To be honest with you, that’s a very normal preparation for a Test match.
“I haven’t had to worry about the quad at all for the last seven days.”
When asked if the injury and break could have been a blessing in disguise, Cummins says that he would have preferred to play every Test but was glad to see the likes of Scott Boland and Michael Neser again prove they’re more than capable at the top level.
“Maybe in some ways (it was a blessing),” Cummins said.
“My strong preference would have been to play and never have an injury.
“But that’s the beauty of seeing people like Michael Neser and Scott Boland come in for the second Test.
“Especially for fast bowlers, having fresh bodies does make a difference at times, so I’m feeling good.”
In the first Test match between the nations since the infamous Sandpapergate series in 2018, Cummins is expecting a “combative” and closely fought contest.
“It’s always a big one (against South Africa),” Cummins said.
“We talk about the Ashes and Indian Test series in the last few years, but I think South Africa have always played a similar style of cricket to Australia.
“So, at times you see it combative, but in terms of skill base, you see similar fast bowlers and similar batting line-ups really.
“That’s why I think it’s always tightly fought fixtures, and I think this one will be the same.”
The Gabba Test between the nations is the first of a three-match series with fixtures to follow in Melbourne then Sydney.