Tag: Pat Cummins

MANCHESTER: Out-of-form opener David Warner managed to retain his spot in Australia’s Playing XI, which did not feature a spinner, for the fourth Ashes Test against England.

David Warner, whose poor record against England pacer Stuart Broad continued in the ongoing Ashes, led by Australia 2-1, managed to retain his place in the team’s lineup.

Warner could score a mere five runs and fell twice against Broad in England’s three-wicket loss in the third Ashes Test.

Furthermore, Stuart Broad has had Warner dismissed 17 times in Tests and, if he does another double over Warner in the fourth Ashes Test, he will equal the record for most dismissals by a bowler against a single batsman at this level, held by Australia great Glenn McGrath, who claimed the wicket of former England captain Mike Atherton 19 times.

Despite the opener’s poor form, Australia captain Pat Cummins confirmed Tuesday that Warner would continue to open alongside Usman Khawaja as his men aim to win the Ashes series in England for the first time since 2001.

Cummins backed his decision by asserting Warner’s role in three fifty-plus partnerships for Australia was crucial for the Ashes holders while expressing his confidence that a big score from him is “just around the corner”.

“Davey didn’t have his best game last week at Headingley but prior to that, I think he’s looked really good –- he’s had three fifty-run partnerships which can be rare over here in England,” Cummins told reporters.

“We back Davey, absolutely. We know how tough it can be to open over here. He’s doing all the right things, he’s shown some great signs and I’m sure a big score is just around the corner,” he added.

Meanwhile, young spinner Todd Murphy, who replaced injured Nathan Lyon in the third Ashes Test, was dropped from the side.

Murphy’s exclusion meant Australia would go into a Test without the services of a frontline spinner for the first time in 11 years.

Cummins further shared that Josh Hazlewood would replace Scott Boland while all-rounder Cameron Green will replace Murphy.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has already unveiled their Playing XI for the must-win fourth Ashes Test, making just one change as their all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson returned to the hosts’ lineup.

PLAYING XIs

Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Josh Hazlewood.

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.

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LONDON: Right-arm pacer Scott Boland will feature in the World Test Championship final as Australia captain Pat Cummins revealed his side’s bowling group for the big clash against India, starting on Wednesday at The Oval.

Scott Boland pipped Michael Neser, who was included in the Australian squad as a replacement for the injured Josh Hazlewood.

While Skipper Pat Cummins confirmed Boland’s selection, he did not name the complete playing XI which will take on India in the Final.

However, he expressed there will be “no surprises” in the playing XI which means Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Boland round out Australia’s pace attack while Nathan Lyon spearheads the spin department.

“Scott is a seam bowler on a good length, but he just offers something slightly different to Joshy Hazlewood, and Starcy being a left hander is bit different,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

“In the past here in England, because the ball does talk a little more, I’ve seen players get too caught up in trying to take wickets every ball because you’ve suddenly got the ball swinging and seaming,” he added

“Someone like Scotty, it’s just a really simple game-plan – you hit your good areas and you stay there all day and hopefully the ball will do the work for you.

“He’s had a few bowls over here now and has looked good. But he looks good whenever he bowls.”

The 34-year-old Boland has so far taken 28 wickets in his first seven Tests at an average of just 13.42. He made a remarkable start to his career during the last Ashes series in 2021-22 where he took 18 wickets.

Probable Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

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SYDNEY: Australia skipper Pat Cummins will not be part of the third Test of the series against India in Indore as he decided to stay home due to a family emergency. 

The fast bowler returned to Australia just hours after the second Test in Delhi to be with his mother who is in critical health condition. He was supposed to come back and join the team in Indore before the third Test, scheduled from March 1 to 5.

Cricket Australia has now confirmed that Cummins will remain in the country, citing his mother’s illness and palliative care as a reason.

“I have decided against returning to India at this time as my mother is ill and in palliative care. I feel I am best being here with my family,” Cummins said in a CA statement on Friday.

“I appreciate the overwhelming support I have received from Cricket Australia and my team-mates. Thanks for your understanding.”

In the absence of Cummins, vice-captain Steve Smith will lead the side in Indore with visitors trailing 2-0 in the series after crushing losses in the first two Tests.

Meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood, David Warner and Ashton Agar also returned home due to various reasons but Australia did not name any replacements to fill the void. They now expect left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc and all-rounder Cameron Green to be completely fit before the third Test after both were sidelined with finger injuries.

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DUBAI: England veteran pacer James Anderson ended the supremacy of Australia captain Pat Cummins on the ICC Test bowlers’ rankings after four years.

Veteran Anderson dethroned Cummins to become the No.1 Test bowler in the ICC rankings, on the back of his seven-wicket haul during England’s dominant  267-run win over the Black Caps in Mount Maunganui last week.

At the ripe age of 40 years and 207 days, Anderson is also the oldest player to claim top billing in the rankings – a record which was earlier held by the Australian leg-spinner Clarrie Grimmett back in 1936.

“It is the sixth time that Anderson has held the title as the premier bowler on the Test rankings, with the right-armer first scaling the heights back in May 2016 when he went past teammate Stuart Broad and Ashwin to hold top billing.” said International Cricket Council on its website.

Anderson has been a mainstay in England’s bowling attack in the longest format of the game since he made his debut way back in 2003. He has taken a total of 682 Test scalps to be third on the all-time list of leading wicket-takers behind spin duo Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708).

“Anderson’s lead at the top is very slender though, with Ashwin remaining in second place on a total of 864 rating points and just two rating points behind the England pacer.” added ICC.

Cummins, who drops to third with 858 rating points, has a chance to regain the top spot through solid performances during Australia’s ongoing Test series against India.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga has surpassed Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan to top the T20I bowling rankings, as a consequence of Rashid’s unimpressive showing in the three matches against UAE held recently during which he took only four wickets

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NAGPUR: India skipper Rohit Sharma and Australian counterpart Pat Cummins on Wednesday brushed aside concerns about the pitch ahead of the first of four eagerly awaited Tests.

Australian commentators have said that a bone-dry pitch has been prepared in Nagpur to make life difficult for the visitors’ many left-handed batsmen in the match starting Thursday.

Cricket writer Robert Craddock told broadcaster SEN that if parts of the pitch had been prepared specifically to target Australia’s left-handed batsmen, it would amount to “straight-up pitch doctoring”.

Former Australia all-rounder Simon O’Donnell said the International Cricket Council “should step in and do something about it, if they think it’s not right”.

But Cummins told reporters that Australia’s batters would take the pitch in their stride.

“Potentially, it looks a little bit dry for the left-handers and knowing how much traffic will probably go through there from the right-arm bowlers,” said Cummins.

“It might be a fair bit of rough out there. Again that’s something we just got to embrace. It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be challenging at times, but we have batters who relish the chance to problem solve on their feet.”

Australia’s set of key left-handers includes David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey, Matt Renshaw and Travis Head.

Their right-handers include Steve Smith — who scored three centuries including a brilliant 178 during Australia’s 2017 tour of India — and Marnus Labuschagne, currently number one in the ICC Test rankings.

Cummins said that getting a good first-innings lead in India was more important than anywhere else in the world.

“You just got to find a way to put a big total on the board, especially thinking if it’s going to spin, it’s going to get really hard in the second innings,” the fast bowler said.

‘Not bothered’

Indian skipper Sharma also downplayed concerns about the pitch, saying that the “focus is on playing the game”.

“(In the) last series we played here, a lot was spoken about pitches. All 22 (players) are quality cricketers and not bothered about how much it is turning, how much it is seaming and all that.”

India are likely to field three spinners, including Ravichandran Ashwin and the returning Ravindra Jadeja, but Sharma did not reveal the starting line-up.

Cummins confirmed that Australia would be without injured pacers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc as well as all-rounder Cameron Green.

Foreign teams have often struggled to overcome conditions in India, with England thrashed 3-1 in 2021.

Australia last won a Test series in India in 2004 and India have won the teams’ last three encounters, including twice in Australia.

A draw in any of the four Tests will be enough to secure world number one Australia a place in the ICC World Test Championship final at The Oval in June.

Second-placed India need to win at least 3-0 to assure themselves of a spot in that final for the second year running.

Indian cricket commentator Harsh Bhogle also brushed aside chatter about the pitch.

“So much talk about pitches before the game starts! For one, it is the same for both teams. And second, it has to present a challenge to the touring side. That is the essence of home and away contests,” Bhogle wrote on Twitter.

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BRISBANE: Australia captain Pat Cummins spearheaded a pace barrage that tore through South Africa before his side chased down a target of 34 runs Sunday to claim a six-wicket win inside two days on a hostile Gabba pitch. 

After finishing their first innings 66 runs in front midway through the first session Sunday, Australia dismissed the visitors for just 99 despite a fighting 36 not out from Khaya Zondo.

But the Australians then lost four cheap wickets in the chase as paceman Kagiso Rabada ran amok, with Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Steve Smith and Travis Head all falling to catches behind the wicket.

However, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green — aided by 15 extras — guided Australia home to give them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series on a day when 19 wickets fell.

“Tricky wicket. I thought the way Head and Smith batted (in the first innings) got us to this winning position,” said Australia captain Pat Cummins.

Man of the match Head added: “Very difficult wicket, plenty for the bowlers. We saw that the whole game. Nice to be able to contribute and get a win.”

Despite the victory, Australian selectors will be concerned with Warner’s form after yet another failure.

Warner is due to play his 100th Test in Melbourne on Boxing Day without scoring a century in almost three years, as calls for him to be dropped grow louder.

The two teams went into the series both boasting high-quality bowling attacks, but Australia’s batting always looked stronger.

And on a green Gabba wicket, South Africa’s frailties at the top of the order were brutally exposed.

“Another 60 runs and we would have been in the game. Pretty spicy wicket, bowlers were licking their lips,” said South Africa skipper Dean Elgar.

“I don’t think we could prepare any better. Conditions weren’t in favour for the batters.”

South Africa slumped to 27-4 in the first innings and 5-3 in the second, positions from which they never recovered.

While the Australians also struggled at times, Head’s superb 92 from 96 balls proved the difference between the two teams.

Australia started the day at 145-7 and South Africa did well to restrict them to 218, a lead of 66.

But the South African batsmen never looked up to the task of setting Australia a competitive total after slumping to 3-2 at lunch.

Stop the Rot

Although Temba Bavuma and Zondo tried to launch a recovery in the middle session, they continued to lose wickets in clumps to a rampant Australian bowling attack.

Cummins, who finished with 5-42, started the second innings rot when he trapped his South African counterpart Dean Elgar lbw for two in just the second over.

Mitchell Starc then took the 300th wicket of his career when he bowled Rassie van der Dussen for a duck.

South Africa limped to lunch but Cummins struck again soon after the resumption when Sarel Erwee got a top edge to gully where the two-metre-tall Green leapt high to pull in a superb catch.

With South Africa staggering at 5-3, Bavuma and Zondo survived a torrid examination from Cummins, Starc and Scott Boland before slowly starting to chip away at the deficit.

Bavuma reached 29 before playing back to off-spinner Nathan Lyon to leave South Africa 47-4.

Boland then had first innings top-scorer Kyle Verreynne caught at second slip before bowling Maro Jansen two balls later to leave South Africa 48-6, still 18 runs from making Australia bat again.

Keshav Maharaj hit out to make a quickfire 16 before edging Starc to be caught behind, before Zondo and Rabada survived to the tea break.

But wickets fell quickly after the break with Cummins particularly dangerous with his impeccable line and length.

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SYDNEY: Australian Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins has decided to skip the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in order to focus on his national duties amid a hectic schedule next year. 

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, the fast bowler announced that he would miss next year’s IPL to take some rest before the all-important Ashes series and the upcoming One-day World Cup staged in India.

“I’ve made the difficult decision to miss next year’s IPL,”  said Cummins in his tweet.

“The international schedule is packed with Tests and ODIs for the next 12 months, so will take some rest ahead of an Ashes series and World Cup.”

I’ve made the difficult decision to miss next years IPL. The international schedule is packed with Tests and ODI’s for the next 12 months, so will take some rest ahead of an Ashes series and World Cup. pic.twitter.com/Iu0dF73zOW

— Pat Cummins (@patcummins30) November 14, 2022

At the IPL auction earlier this year, Cummins was bought by the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a staggering 72.5 million Indian rupees.

In this year’s edition of the cash-riched league, he grabbed seven wickets in five matches and also made headlines with the bat for scoring the joint-fastest half-century in IPL history. His powerful knock of 50 off 14 against Mumbai Indians equalled the record of KL Rahul.

The right-arm pacer will lead Australia in the Ashes that commences in June next year, while the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 scheduled to take place in October and November.

Australia also has a solid chance of appearing in the next year’s World Test Championship final, as the side team presently leads the standings.

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COLOMBO: Australia’s wicket-keeper batter Alex Carey rescued his side in the run chase before Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins dismantled the Sri Lankan batting lineup to power their side to seal a consolidating victory in the fifth ODI.

In a dead-rubber fifth ODI, Australia held their nerves calm in the run chase as Carey bolstered his side with a defiant knock to propel the touring side to a six-wicket victory as they chased down 161 in the 40th over.

In the run chase, the touring side were off to a dismal start as they lost four wickets for a mere 50 runs. Carey and Marnus Labuschagne then anchored the run chase with a 51-run partnership for the fifth wicket and neutralized the horror before Dunith Wellalage trapped the latter in his legs for 31.

The wicket-keeper Carey then ran into a brief partnership with the all-rounder Glenn Maxwell as they added 20 runs to the team’s total before Wellalage struck again to break the partnership as Australia slipped to 121/6 with forty more to win.

The bowling all-rounder Cameron Green then displayed brilliance as he joined hands with Carey to steer the side to the victory in the 40th over. Carey remained unbeaten with his gritty 45 off 65 balls with the help of a boundary, while Green scored a valiant 25 not out on 26 balls.

For Sri Lanka, Wellalage shone with the ball; taking three wickets, while Maheesh Theekshana bagged two. Pramod Madushan, on the other hand, made one scalp.

Batting first, the Australian bowlers completely dominated the hosts’ batting lineup as seven batters could not manage to score in double figures.

The all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne fought hard with his valiant knock of a run-a-ball 75 but he too, could not bolster his side to a defendable total as Sri Lanka could only score 160 before bowling out in the 44th over.

For Australia, Matthew Kuhnemann, Hazlewood, and Cummins picked two wickets each while Maxwell and Green struck out a batter each.

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LAHORE: Australia’s Test captain Pat Cummins has revealed that the touring side has made plans to tackle Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam and is confident of executing them in the upcoming third Test.

Cummins, while talking to the virtual pressed conference, ahead of the third Test of the historic series between Pakistan and Australia, unveiled that the touring side has made several plans to tackle Pakistan’s top-batter Babar.

“Babar Azam played an extraordinary knock. We have made plans for him. Now we will be looking to execute those plans, but I must say that he played a good long knock,” he said.

Cummins also revealed that the Aussies will be taking the field with the same combination.

“I have full confidence in my boys. We will take the field with the same Playing XI,” he said.

“We need two spinners. We also considered other options but we think this is the best Playing XI,” he added.

Cummins also claimed that the missed opportunities in the last Test prevented us from winning. However, the right-arm pacer is confident of not losing the chances in the third Test.

“We had a chance to win the Karachi Test but we missed on the given opportunities which really halted us from winning,” he said.

“We can no longer afford to miss out on the opportunities, we need to field well in the Lahore Test,” he added.

The right-arm pacer also commented about the playing conditions in Gaddafi Stadium, said the bowlers do not have much experience of playing in hot conditions.

“This is a big match. The weather is very hot for the fast bowlers. They do not have much experience of playing in these sorts of conditions,” he said.

“There is no grass on the pitch. I can’t say much about this pitch, how different it is
from the first two Tests. But, I think the reverse swing will play an important role in this match,” he concluded.

The Aussie captain however is confident of claiming the series by winning the third Test of the ongoing Benaud-Qadir Trophy.

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KARACHI: Australian Test captain Pat Cummins has said that the Aussies are capable enough of taking 20 wickets in the second Test of the Benaud-Qadir Trophy, starting from tomorrow.

In a virtual media interaction, the Australian captain claimed that his side can pick 20 wickets in the upcoming second Test while relying on their spin bowling options. Cummins also confirmed that the leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson will be debuting against Pakistan tomorrow.

“Karachi’s pitch looks good for the spin. Therefore, we have decided to rest [Josh] Hazlewood and Swepson will make his debut,” he said.

“Nathan Lyon and leg-spinner Swepson will make a big difference in our bowling attack for Karachi Test. I think we are eligible enough of taking all the 20 wickets,” he added.

Cummins then went on to opine about NSK’s pitch and said the pitch looks dry and beneficial for the bowlers.

“We had a look at the pitch and it seems a bit dry and favourable for the bowlers. It looks like there will be a break on the wicket,” he said.

“If the ball gets to start reverse swing that Mitchell Starc can put a major threat for the batters,” he added.

Cummins further stated about his side’s preparation for the Karachi Test and said they are ready for the contest and looking forward to continuing their ‘pretty satisfactory’ performance from Pindi.

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