'We are big on playing...': Australia captain Pat Cummins ahead of Ashes Test against England

Pat Cummins. Pic/AP, PTI

Australia captain Pat Cummins asserted that his side are focused on themselves as they face upbeat England's 'Bazball' style in the first Ashes Test and added that the series will be full of "surprises."

Australia head into the Ashes opener after a thumping 209-run win over India in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval.

In what could be the most-waited Ashes series in recent times, the upbeat BazBall force comes up against the unstoppable World Test Championship-winning Australia across six weeks of exciting Test cricket.

"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," Sky Sports quoted Cummins as saying.

"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," Cummins added.

The hosts are also charged up by the 'Bazball' revolution brought by skipper Ben Stokes and Test head coach Brendon McCullum, which has seen England win 11 of their last 13 Tests and dominate their opponents with an attacking, aggressive and positive cricket that aims for victory.

"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.

England last won the Ashes in 2015, with Australia claiming the 2017/2018 Ashes and retaining the urn with a 2-2 series draw in the UK in 2019. Australia won the 2021/2022 series 4-0.

"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," Cummins said of this summer's contest.

"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," he added.

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