Pacers Cummins and Starc to shoulder increased responsibilities for Australia against India as Hazlewood sits out

Australia captain Pat Cummins acknowledges that he and pace bowler Mitchell Starc will need to shoulder extra responsibilities with the absence of the injured Josh Hazlewood. Cummins highlights the seam-friendly pitches in Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane during the ongoing five-test series against India as a factor that will require both him and Starc to step up in Hazlewood's absence.

The third test ended in a rain-affected draw in Brisbane on Wednesday and the series is level at 1-1. India won the first test by 295 runs at Perth, while Australia came back to win the second day-night test in Adelaide by 10 wickets.

Hazlewood, who missed the Adelaide test due to side soreness, it out for the rest of the series with a calf injury.

India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah leads all bowlers in the series with 21 wickets, while Cummins and Starc have 14 each.

Cummins said Thursday he was hopeful that both he and Starc would play the remaining tests — the Boxing Day match starting Dec. 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Sydney test beginning Jan. 3.

“Nothing is for certain,” he said. "See how we pull up. But today we’re both fine so I can’t see that changing. It was hot yesterday but physically outside of that we’re good to go.

“We’d had about seven days or so off bowling after Adelaide so we were fresh and ready to go. If anything, the rain breaks actually helped us get a bit of a break.”

If Australia cannot beat India in both Melbourne and Sydney, the side will need to win at least one test on Galle’s turning wickets in Sri Lanka next month to keep its World Test Championship title defense alive. It is believed Hazlewood could be back running early in the new year and be fit to return for the two-test Sri Lanka tour.

Cummins' wife Becky is due to give birth around the time of the Sri Lanka matches, placing him in possible doubt for one of them. The Galle tests are scheduled to begin on Jan. 29 and Feb. 6.

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