Solving middle overs puzzle key for 'cool' Cummins

As Pat Cummins prepares for his third ODI World Cup, his bowling form and fitness aren't the only things he needs to have ready. 

He's also responsible for the heavy burden that comes as Australia's captain.

While the fast bowler has plenty of experience in Indian conditions, he's still very inexperienced as the team's leader in this format.

The 30-year-old enters this World Cup as the least experienced ODI captain at the tournament, with only four games under his belt in charge of Australia in 50-over cricket compared to an average of 32.2 matches among the nine opposing skippers.

Since being named one-day skipper in October 2022 following Aaron Finch's retirement, Cummins has missed 10 matches with his Test commitments and recovery taking priority.

"It's really cool," Cummins told reporters on match eve in Chennai on how it felt to be a World Cup captain.

"I think the most exciting thing about a World Cup is it's a campaign. 

"It feels like you're there with 14 other guys and you're on a journey to try and make the next couple of months as special as it can (be)."

Perhaps the most challenging aspect facing the right-armer's captaincy will be his moves through the middle overs of the innings (overs 11-40).

The largest segment of an ODI innings, it's when four fielders are allowed outside the inner circle. Unsurprisingly, the stats suggest a strong correlation between middle-over dominance and World Cup success.

And for Cummins it's figuring out that puzzle that brings him the most skippering satisfaction.

"That's the interesting part of ODI cricket because there's a few ways you can go about it," Cummins said.

"As a captain the questions you want to ask are; are you trying to get out overs from your fifth or sixth bowler? Or do you try and front end it and bowl the main guys, trying to go after those wickets. 

"But then if it doesn't work out, your last 10 overs might be a bit more exposed. 

"Sometimes if the ball's not swinging or spinning, maybe it's trying to build pressure and get wickets that way.

"It's an interesting phase – you've got to try and think a little bit differently. It's probably one part of the captaincy I do enjoy."

Undoubtedly one of Australia's key weapons and Cummins' go-to bowler in the middle overs will be leg-spinner Adam Zampa.

Since the last World Cup, Zampa has been one of the format's most effective in this period of the match, not just for Australia but across all nations.

His 58 middle overs wickets (since the 2019 World Cup) are the most of any bowler in ODI cricket, with Indian wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav second with 54. Zampa's tally dwarfs Australia's next best Josh Hazlewood, who has taken 16.

The leggie has been careful managed over the past week after pulling up "sore", not featuring in either of Australia's warm-up matches and sitting out the third ODI against India in Rajkot. 

Zampa arrived at the nets later than the rest of the group on Friday, but a 30-minute bowl, mostly at Glenn Maxwell, hinted he should be fit for Sunday.

Cummins explained to reporters on Saturday that a pool incident was responsible for the fresh visible grazes on Zampa's nose and cheek. 

"He swam to the pool wall, apparently," Cummins said with a laugh.

"He said he had his eyes closed and thought he was swimming in a straight line and swam into the step in the pool. It looks impressive.

"He's good. He's just a little bit sore, so we've had a pretty quiet week or two but he's ready to go." 

Australia's task at hand – a two-month white-ball stint in the subcontinent – is not as daunting as it once was.

With the introduction of the Indian Premier League and the countless ODI and T20 bilateral series, many Australians are exposed to Indian conditions several times a year.

And Cummins believes that experience and knowledge will play a big part in Australia's World Cup quest.

Despite playing 75 white-ball matches in Australia across his career compared to 51 in India, Cummins said it felt like he'd played more in the subcontinent nation "over the last 10 years" than at home.

"It's no doubt helpful playing a lot here," Cummins said.

"It's conditions we know really well.

"The positive thing is we've played some really good one-day cricket against India over here the last few years so we can draw back on that."

Australia's 2023 ODI World Cup fixtures

October 8: v India, Chennai (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

October 12: v South Africa, Lucknow (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

October 16: v Sri Lanka, Lucknow (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

October 20: v Pakistan, Bengaluru (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

October 25: v Netherlands, Delhi (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

October 28: v New Zealand, Dharamsala, 4pm AEDT

November 4: v England, Ahmedabad (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

November 7: v Afghanistan, Mumbai (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

November 11: v Bangladesh, Pune, 4pm AEDT

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa