"Greatest Test bowler of this era.."- Fans erupt after Pat Cummins picks up third consecutive fifer in 3rd AUS vs PAK Test in Sydney
Pat Cummins produced a stellar bowling performance on Day 1 of the third Test against Pakistan to give his side a good start in the game. He led from the front with figures of 5/61 as Australia bundled out Pakistan for 313 in the first innings.
Pakistan skipper Shan Masood won the toss and opted to bat first earlier in the day. Aussie pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood dismissed openers Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub for ducks.
Shan Masood (35) and Babar Azam (26) then tried to resurrect Pakistan's innings after a disastrous start. Just as they were building a decent stand, Australian captain Pat Cummins separated them by sending Babar Azam back to the pavilion for his first wicket of the new year.
He also dismissed Saud Shakeel soon after to reduce Pakistan to 47/4. Mohammad Rizwan (88 in 103 balls) played a counter-attacking knock at this juncture and transferred some pressure back onto the bowlers. He built vital partnerships with Masood and Agha Salman to rescue Pakistan from a precarious situation.
Pat Cummins devised a wonderful strategy and gave a crucial breakthrough for his side by getting rid of Rizwan in the 47th over with a short ball. Cummins then scalped wickets of Sajid Khan and Hasan Ali in consecutive overs to claim his third consecutive five-wicket haul in Tests.
Fans were impressed with Cummins' consistent performances after his latest five-wicket haul agaisnt Pakistan in Sydney and hailed him through their reactions on X.
Here are some of the best reactions:
"I think there is an issue just with the amount of other cricket out there"- Pat Cummins on Test cricket's health and future
Speaking to reporters ahead of the third Test in Sydney, Pat Cummins opined that there is no need to worry too much about the future of Test cricket. He said:
"I think in some regards leading to this Test summer, some of the question marks were against Pakistan and West Indies. We've had two fantastic Test matches against Pakistan, really well-supported, big crowds. So I don't think it's in as dramatic a decline as sometimes it gets spoken about."
He continued:
"But I think there is an issue just with the amount of other cricket out there, obviously competition for talent is higher than it's ever been. My hopes are that it's even stronger than it is now, in 10 years' time or 20 years' time."
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