Pat Cummins completes 10 years in Test cricket, shares picture from debut match
Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins completed a decade in Test cricket on Wednesday. On the occasion, the speedster shared a couple of images from his debut Test along with a message.
Cummins made an unforgettable Test debut against South Africa in Johannesburg on November 17, 2011. The pacer was named Man of the Match as Australia leveled the two-match series 1-1. Cummins claimed 6 for 79 in the second innings as Australia won the Test by two wickets.
10 years ago today I made my Test debut, crazy! Awesome to have played with/against some of the greats of Cricket in that game like Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, Johnson, Kallis, Steyn and De Villiers etc https://t.co/6AsldcP0Ym
Getting into nostalgic mode, Cummins took to his Twitter account and recalled:
“10 years ago today I made my Test debut, crazy! Awesome to have played with/against some of the greats of Cricket in that game like Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, Johnson, Kallis, Steyn and De Villiers etc.”
South Africa batted first after winning the toss in the Test and posted 266 courtesy fifties from Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers and Ashwell Prince. Australia responded with 296 as Shane Watson and Phillip Hughes contributed 88 each. The Aussies were 174 for no loss at one stage before suffering a middle and lower-order collapse. Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir claimed four and three wickets respectively.
Cummins’ second-inning six-for then held the Proteas to 339 despite Hashim Amla’s 103 and AB de Villiers’ 73. Australia chased down the target in a tight finish as Usman Khawaja, Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin contributed half-centuries. Cummins himself was unbeaten on 13 as the Aussies registered a famous win.
“I'll be ready if I have to” - Pat Cummins on possibility of captaining team during Ashes
#T20WCFinal ✅ https://t.co/THJjiG4p3g
Australia vice-captain Pat Cummins has stated that he is ready to take over the captaincy role during the Ashes if the need arises.
While the selectors have named Tim Paine as skipper, the wicketkeeper-batter underwent a neck surgery in September.
Cummins was quoted as saying by Channel Nine:
"Hopefully Tim will be fine, he's nearing 100 per cent ... but I'll be ready if I have to, but I doubt that. If I was in the role and I found it tough, at times, there's ten other guys I'd lean on out in the middle. You've got people like Smithy (Steve Smith) and Davey Warner who are incredibly experienced, all the bowlers are experienced and look after themselves pretty well so I'd have no issues handballing it over to other people to help out."
The first Ashes Test will be played at The Gabba, Brisbane from December 8-12.