Cummins highlights new-ball challenge
IT WAS the relative calm before the storm for Australia’s attack at Headingley, but their struggles with the second new ball will be a big focus heading into the fourth Test at Old Trafford, where Pat Cummins expects to back up.
Ben Stokes’ six-laden rampage, and Australia’s various missed chances, grabbed all the headlines as England snatched a one-wicket win to level the series at 1-1.
However, it was Stokes and Jonny Bairstow’s counterpunching stand of 86 runs that gave their team genuine belief of completing England’s highest chase in Test history.
The hosts were 4-159 when Nathan Lyon had Joe Root out edging on day four, still 200 runs short of the target.
Tim Paine had no hesitation taking the second new ball soon after, but it proved more a hindrance than help, rocketing off the bat as Stokes and Bairstow attacked anything loose.
Australia’s quicks struggled with their line and length when confronted with the aggression.
“One thing we spoke about was with the new ball, obviously you feel like you’re more in the game,” Cummins said after Australia debriefed in Leeds.
“But that wicket almost felt like a one-day wicket or an Indian wicket, where with the new ball it’s a double-edged sword.
“If you’re not absolutely perfect you can go for runs and I think if we reflect on that half an hour, they might have got 30 or 40 runs pretty quickly … we’ll have a look at that.
“Other than that I thought we were brilliant.”
Coach Justin Langer was full of praise for his fast bowlers, but agreed there was an obvious area for improvement.
“When the new ball came … we maybe tried a little bit too hard,” Langer said.
Cummins has endured a bigger workload than any other bowler in the touring party. The vice-captain is the only Australian paceman to play all three Tests.
Cummins will skip the three-day tour game in Derby that starts tonight but is adamant he can play the final two Tests as Australia pursues its first Ashes series win in England since 2001. AUSTRALIAN Test opener Marcus Harris is having trouble putting his critical Headingley drop in the third Ashes Test out of his mind.
The Victorian batsman, already under pressure to keep his spot for the Old Trafford Test after scores of 8 and 19, dropped eventual matchwinner Ben Stokes on 116.
Harris admitted his thoughts had inadvertently drifted back to his potentially series-defining moment in the deep over the past few days.
“I’ve been trying not to think about it,” Harris told RSN radio yesterday.
“But when you do that you tend to think about it more. So I’ve thought about it a little bit.
“When you put things into perspective, you’re playing cricket for your country and you’re involved in an unbelievable Test match.”
Harris had a premonition a catch was coming and was ready to spring into action.
“It went straight in my hand, and I couldn’t have got it any better, but as soon as I hit the ground it just exploded out.”
Harris knew he could be the odd man out for Manchester if he didn’t find runs in Australia’s three-day tour match against Derbyshire.