Australia Captain Pat Cummins Seeks Improvements After Test Series Loss to South Africa
Australia captain Pat Cummins says his team must improve before their home series against New Zealand, Cricket Australia reported.
Australia's Test cricket team must get better, especially in their top-order decision-making, after losing a series to South Africa, captain Pat Cummins said on Saturday, according to Cricket Australia.
The team's batting frailty was exposed again in the third Test, where they were bowled out for 204 and 199, allowing South Africa to win by 176 runs.
Cummins lamented his team's poor decisions, particularly on day five, where they were unable to capitalize on a strong start.
"We've got to get better," Cummins told reporters.
The team's recent performances have been inconsistent, with Cummins acknowledging that they may need to make changes to their lineup and strategy.
Australia's Test team has struggled with batting, with five top-seven batters finishing with averages under 22 for the series.
Background
Australia's Test cricket team has faced challenges in recent months, including a shock defeat to Bangladesh in Darwin two months ago.
The team's batting has been a concern, with Cummins demanding more patience and resilience from his batters on truer surfaces.
What's Next
Australia will face New Zealand in a home series in December, and Cummins believes they need to improve if they want to get back to number one in Test cricket.
The team's senior core has been under scrutiny, with some players facing an uncertain future, including Marnus Labuschagne and Beau Webster.