Pat Cummins says he will be fit for the Adelaide Test despite failing to bowl in the second innings of Australia’s 164-run victory over the West Indies at Perth Stadium yesterday.
In what shapes as a significant risk ahead of a crowded summer and busy 15 months, Cummins insists he has only a “small strain” to his right quad and his sluggish movement in the field was only to avoid further damage ahead of the second Test, beginning on Thursday.
“I felt OK,” said Cummins, who confirmed discussions over flying extra players into Adelaide as a precaution had taken place. The Australian captain will need to pass a fitness test in Adelaide and confirmed reserve paceman Scott Boland would play and Steve Smith would captain the side if he was ruled out.
That was more not trying to run as opposed to being restricted to run,” Cummins said of his fielding, which saw him turn a single into three runs at one stage given the slowness of his chase. “If it [the match] got a bit tighter I was going to have a bowl, but I’m pretty happy I managed to not bowl to give myself a good chance.
“It’s just a small strain so normally about a one-weeker. If you bowl and make it worse it can make it longer, but I’ll spend the next few days rehabbing, getting it right and think it’s a pretty good chance I’ll be good for Adelaide.“
Cummins admitted that with a schedule that includes five Tests in little more than six weeks, with two against the West Indies and three against South Africa, then Test tours of India and England next year before a 50-over World Cup, he needs to be careful with his workload.
Cummins had to rely on Nathan Lyon to bowl Australia to victory on the final day in Perth. Credit:AP
“It was definitely the thought process the last couple of days,” he said. “I don’t really want to turn a one-week injury into a three- or four-week injury and you potentially miss the summer. So we’ll weigh all that up. As I said, I felt pretty comfortable out there. Give it a few days. It already feels pretty good. The physio might be less optimistic, but I think I’ll be fine. I’m sure I’ll have running and a bit of bowling to make sure I’m right.“
In Cummins’ absence, Nathan Lyon stepped up to continue his love affair with Perth Stadium, claiming 6-128 to be the leading wicket-taker in the match with eight in total – more than the West Indies claimed in both innings.
It was Lyon’s 21st five-wicket innings haul from his 111 Test and gave him 445 career Test wickets at 32. Lyon has 22 wickets at the remarkable average of 18 from the three Tests played at Perth’s newest cricket stadium.
Lyon took four of the first five wickets, including the key dismissal of resolute West Indian captain Kraigg Brathwaite on the final morning, spinning a ball back to bowl him for 110.
There has been an effort to replicate the characteristics of the famous WACA pitch’s pace and bounce with the Perth Stadium drop-in wickets, but bowling figures suggest there are differences. At the WACA Ground, Lyon has 15 wickets in five Test at an average of 48.
This is not an aberration but a pointer to how unrewarding the WACA Ground has been to spinners. It was the great Shane Warne’s least productive venue in Australia. He claimed 37 wickets at an average of 36 from 12 Tests at the WACA but took at least 56 wickets at significantly better averages at the four other major mainland venues.
Lyon didn’t have everything his own way on the last day as paceman Alzarri Joseph (42 in 73 balls with four 4s and three 6s) and spinner Rolston Chase (55 in 85 balls) added 82 for the eighth wicket. It took the occasional off-spin of Travis Head to end the partnership, bowling Joseph.
Head finished with 2/25 from eight overs, increasing his total wicket haul from four to six in his 29th Test. It went with his brisk first innings 99 as Australia chased quick runs on the second day for a declaration.
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