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Australia’s series-winning cricketers are set for a break with captain Pat Cummins likely facing a lengthy spell from test duty.
Travis Head admitted he felt “wrecked” while Cummins said he also had “little left in the tank” after the recent six-wicket win in Sydney.
The result saw Australia beat India in a Test series for the first time since 2014-15 as they claimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and qualified for the World Test Championship final in June when they play South Africa at Lord’s in England.
Cummins is expected to miss the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka due to the birth of his second child later this month.
“We’ll wait and see,” Cummins told reporters, according to cricket.com.au.
“(His wife) Becky is hanging on at the moment, so we’ll play by it by ear. But most likely I might struggle to get over there.”
The bulk of Australia’s squad for Sri Lanka, to be named later this week, will spend just under a week training in Dubai to prepare for the two Tests in Galle.
Cummins’ likely absence means Steve Smith may have the captaincy reins when he attempts to finally pass the 10,000-run mark after becoming the first man to be dismissed twice in the 9990s.
“I got chain-sawed didn’t I!” Smith told radio of his second-innings dismissal that saw him caught at gully from Prasidh Krishna one run short of becoming the fourth Australian to the milestone.
The 35-year-old said he was “keen” to go to Sri Lanka.
“We’re in the WTC final now so that will be exciting. Then we’ll take it day-by-day. It’s been a long summer so far, I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been fun to be in the runs again the last couple of weeks and a great series result.”
Head is the other co vice-captain and could also be considered to take over from Cummins in Sri Lanka. The left-hander, Australia’s leading run-scorer against India with centuries in Adelaide and Brisbane, conceded the series had taken a toll.
“It’s been a crazy five Tests and the guys who got through all five are looking forward to a bit of time off,” Head told TV media.
“It’s a bloody tough tour and it’s nice to come out on the winning side of things today. I’m wrecked, I don’t know what I’m going to do in the next few days but we’ve got 10 or 12 days off now before we go to Sri Lanka and I’m going to use every little bit of that.
“I’ll look forward to a couple of cold ones tonight, I’ve been off the drink for a bit, so I’ll look after myself and our attention will turn to what’s next.”
Having fended off questions about his playing future during the India series, Usman Khawaja averaged a tick over 20 against India in difficult new-ball batting conditions, with India’s Jasprit Bumrah dismissing him six times.
He described the speedster as “the toughest bowler I’ve ever faced”.
