Pat Cummins plans to silence monster crowd ahead of ‘career-defining’ end to the year

Australia won’t just be up against the Indian XI on Sunday, with 130,000 home fans staring the side down — but skipper Pat Cummins has made a cheeky dig at his rivals to declare his side are certainly not concerned.

Australia, the five-time World Champions, have the rare distinction of coming into the final as underdogs such has been the dominance of India at home.

But Cummins said his side plans to embrace the enormity of the challenge.

“The crowd is obviously going to be very one sided, but in sport there is nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent and that’s the aim for us tomorrow,” he said.

“Even in the lead-up, there is going to be noise and more people and interest and you just can’t get overwhelmed, you have got to be up for it and you have got to love it.

“And just know whatever happens, it’s fine. You just want to finish the day with no regrets.”

Pat Cummins believes 2023 shapes as a career-defining year for his Australian cricket team and the World Cup final is set to determine whether that year can be looked back on as a raging success, or a pass mark.

A white-ball World Cup, a Test series in India and an away Ashes series are the three toughest assignments an Australian cricket team can face, and all three have come in the space of nine months.

Throw in the final of the World Test Championship, and it has been a “huge year” by Cummins’ estimation.

“They’re four marquee events that if you have one of those in your off-season, it’s a big off-season,” the Australian captain said.

“Some of the guys have probably spent less than a couple of weeks in their own beds since the end of the Aussie summer.”

As the globe-trotting year approaches its end, a defeat of India in the World Cup final would elevate Cummins’ side from respectability to reverence.

“(To win the final) would be huge. We were all kids not too long ago, watching some of those great teams win the ‘99, 2003, 2007 World Cups.

“That’s the opportunity ahead of us tomorrow, which is really exciting. To be captain would be an absolute privilege, to lift the trophy with this great bunch of blokes.

“In terms of the pinnacle (of world cricket), I think it is right up there. It’s got the longest history of a world event where all the teams compete.

The pitch selected at Ahmedabad has been used in one previous match at the tournament, the clash between India and Pakistan during the group stage that the hosts won comfortably.

The confirmation comes after fears India’s cricket board (BCCI) had weighed into the ICC’s decision to select a used pitch for India’s semi-final against New Zealand.

But Cummins appeared unfazed by conditions favouring India.

“No doubt playing on your own wicket in your own country has some advantages,” he said.

“But we’ve played a lot of cricket over here. We’ll wait and see.”

Cummins felt Australia were yet to play a “complete game” in the tournament.

“There have been no huge wins. We’ve had to fight for every win, but we’ve found a way to win,” Cummins said.

“I’m taking that confidence, knowing that we don’t have to be at our absolute best to challenge any team, we can find a way through it.”