The current AUS vs ENG test series saw Australian test captain Pat Cummins’s return after suffering severely from a back stress injury. The performance that Cummins displayed is arguably the greatest test comefrom the history of test cricket. Cummins not only played but dominated the match, leaving the England test players mentally shattered.
Eng vs Aus: The Medical Incredibility of This Comeback
Cummins’ return is rare not only because of what it has achieved, but because it is so unlikely. Prior to December 18, Cummins had been unable to bowl a ball in formal cricket action since July 13. For 16 weeks, he refrained from bowling altogether, including in the nets, in order to let a stress injury in his back heal.
The medical plan at Cricket Australia typically involves a period of net bowling that lasts from three to four months before assessing a gradual comeback through domestic cricket. In a surprising move, Cummins skipped all these and came back to net bowling after seven weeks and to international cricket without restrictions.
Skill Over Rust: Cummins Removes Any Hang-Ups
The one question mark over Cummins was the readiness of his skills. Cummins had struggled in the long lay-offs in the past, preceding the 2023 World Test Championship Final and the Border-Gavaskar series.
But in this Test between AUS vs ENG in Adelaide, Cummins looked almost flawless. He bowled hardly a loose ball on a flat surface, with temperatures soaring at 40 degrees.
Day Two Destruction: England’s Best Fall First
Cummins started aggressively by dismissing Zak Crawley and Joe Root with balls of elite quality. Cummins also used the shorter balls effectively to pack off Jamie Smith, thus laying bare the weak link present in the English middle-order batmen.
Despite the fact that the ball was quite old and the surface was unresponsive, Cummins was able to find some movement and some bounce, which was more than any other bowler could achieve.
(AUS vs ENG), Day 4: Cummins Moves Beyond Humanity
Then came day four, with events bordering on the unbelievable. Cummins’s figures of 3-24 off 10 overs are but a faint reflection of his performance. He had bowled 17 overs over the two previous days and showed not the least signs of tiring.
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Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope were both undone, and they were edged to second slip, where Marnus Labuschagne produced two incredible catches, the latter of which was a breathtaking one-handed dive.
Cummins vs Root: A Battle of Psychology Won
But after tea, England showed it had dreams of winning the match. There was a Crawley Root partnership which suggested it might be some sort of Bazball miracle.
Bowling five successive dot balls at a speed of close to 138kph, he lured Root into a false shot. The outcome another edge, another exit for Alex Carey. This marked the 13th Test scalp for Root, courtesy of Cummins, and this time, there was little about it that could be termed unlucky.
“Cummins’ natural angle, high release point, and wobble seam make Root’s job more difficult,” says Ponting. “Slower balls, as in Adelaide, make him more menacing, as he brings the stumps into equation.”
Why Cummins Is Deadlier on Slow Surfaces?
Contrastingly, Cummins prefers and profits from low and slow surfaces. His ability to induce movement from the length of the ball, with the angle and late movement, adds to the uncertainty.
On such wickets as in Perth, he can be safely left alone by the batter. In Adelaide, he cannot. This is the technological advantage that has been living “rent-free” in Root’s mind since the last Ashes in 2019 and is doing so in this contest between AUS and ENG.
Lyon Seals the Deal as Australia Close In
Cummins did not bowl in the final 30 overs, giving rise to slight worries. However, all worries were forgotten with Nathan Lyon taking control.
Lyon took apart the English batting lineup with a spell of 3-7. Harry Brook was caught attempting aReverse Sweep shot, and Ben Stokes was taken out by a beautiful delivery that drifted in and spun back in. Crawley was later stumped, tempted out of his crease.
AUS vs ENG: England Admit Australia’s Superiority
The frustration was evident in England’s camp. As one of their own said, “The Australians made it very hard for us. They bowled so disciplined,” said Crawley. A glimmer of hope was that Cummins was not playing. The impact of his return has been disastrous strategic, technical, and psychological.
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