MOUNTAINS OF P ACE TO W ORRY INDIA
IT TOOK Pat Cummins six years to play his second Test match, but on just five days rest he will be unleashed at high altitude to spearhead Australia in the Himalayas.
No one quite knows what the mystery of the mountains will hold, but there is intense speculation from both sides the wicket to decide the Border Gavaskar Trophy could be made for Cummins’s express pace.
The last time Cummins played a Test at this altitude he ripped through the thin Johannesburg air like a tracer bullet and tore South Africa to shreds on debut in a manof- the- match performance in 2011.
India is set to add a third fast bowler, Mohammed Shami, to their squad to highlight the role pace could play in the fourth Test thriller, and however unlikely, there could be an outside possibility Jackson Bird may get a look in as a third pacer for Australia.
Test great Shane Warne has also tweeted his confidence that Dharamsala’s elevated conditions could clinch history for Steve Smith’s men.
“I really think the Aussies can now win this series as Dharamsala will suit their style,” said Warne.
After conquering poor tracks in Pune and Bangalore and a dead deck in Ranchi, Australia are undaunted by what their journey to the foot of the Himalayas will bring.
Locals expect the Dharamsala wicket to stay low, but at 1457 metres above sea level, if one man who can generate altitude sickness, it’s 150km/ h runaway train Cummins.
“I think it gives the squad a massive amount of confidence, knowing we can go in and assess the pitch as quickly as we can and then play from there,” said Peter Handscomb.
“Obviously, we did that well in Pune and we’ve had two different types of wickets again in Bangalore and Ranchi. So if we can assess the conditions as quickly as possible and go from there I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
Cummins has never played backto- back Test matches and when India kept Australia out in the field for 2 ½ agonising days there were mounting concerns about how the 23- year- old might cope with the workload spike with so little firstclass preparation under his belt.
Australia’s batsmen fought hard to give Cummins a day five to put his feet up and the 39 overs he bowled in Ranchi – albeit in consecutive days – isn’t drastically above what he would have churned through had he stayed for NSW’s Sheffield Shield match at the WACA.
With Cummins in their XI, NSW would have been favourites to charge into the Shield final as well, so therefore the Cricket Australia sports scientists were preparing for this kind of workload – although admittedly not at Test level.
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