Time for Steve Smith to promote Pat Cummins across the board

With Mitchell Starc to miss at least the MCG Ashes Test with a bruised heel, Australian captain Steve Smith has the golden opportunity to lift the richly talented Pat Cummins up the bowling and batting orders.

For starters, hand Cummins first use of the new ball, and recognise his batting by promoting him to eight.

Cummins is the fastest, and most physically dangerous, of the Australian pace attack, but has been held back playing second fiddle to Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, as a first change bower.

What a waste of talent and venom.

In the three Tests to date to reclaim the coveted urn, Cummings has bowled more overs (126.3) than Starc (125.3), and Hazlewood (120.4), and is second only to offie Nathan Lyon’s 146.1.

And there’s every reason to believe if Cummins had first use of the new cherry, he would be even more dangerous.

In a run-down beginning at the Gabba with England’s first dig, Cummins bowled in the seventh over replacing Hazlewood, and in the second at the 10th over replacing Starc.

In the Adelaide day-nighter, Cummins replaced Hazlewood in the ninth over in England’s first dig, and replaced Starc in the second to bowl the eighth over.

At the WACA, it was the eighth over when Cummins replaced Starc in the first dig, and the 13th over replacing Hazlewood in the second.

Repeat, that’s been wasting speed, and intimidation.

When the new cherry is both hard and shiny, Cummins would be at his most dangerous.

(AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Now is the time to prove the point by opening with Cummins and Hazlewood in that order, with replacement Jackson Bird first change, with Mitchell Marsh filling in if required, but leaving the long spells in the very capable hands of Lyon as the world’s leading wicket-taker in 2017.

So far Starc has the best Ashes series return with 19 wickets at 21.05, Hazlewood has 15 at 23.20, while Cummins has 11 at 30.09.

That can be explained by not using Cummins’ rich talents in the best light.

The MCG can change all that by cutting Cummins loose with first use of the new ball.

Australia is fortunate to have Bird to call on, even though he’s only played eight Tests since he debuted five years ago against Sri Lanka in the Boxing Day Test.

Eight caps in five years gives a false impression as to the former St Ignatius College schoolboy’s international qualifications.

He’s taken 34 wickets at 27.47 with his medium pacers of the Glenn McGrath metronome variety of “You miss, and I hit”.

Rarely does an opposition batsman leave a Bird delivery, making him an economical, yet wicket-taking, proposition who has had more than his fair share of injuries.

Steve Smith could well have promoted Cummins over Starc in the batting order before today. The under-rated Cummins is fifth on the Australian batting averages with 46, despite having only 44 as his highest score.

He’s been very consistent.

The simple truth is Cummins can genuinely bat, and has been a quality lower order batsman throughout his career.

So Cummins will move from nine to eighth at the MCG, followed by Lyon, Bird, and Hazlewood.

And unless keeper Tim Paine, another quality batsman, lives up to his natural talent, Cummins wouldn’t be out of place at seven – coming in after Mitchell Marsh.

Sure the baggy greens will miss Mitchell Starc, he’s a world-class quick, but Jackson Bird is a quality replacement, and by utilising Pat Cummins as the spearhead, the Australians will still have too much firepower with bat and ball for the Englishmen.

So far Australia has only lost 37 wickets for 1743 runs in this series, averaging 47.11 a wicket.

England’s lost a maximum 60 wickets for 1578, averaging a mere 26.30 a wicket.

The one-way traffic will continue at the MCG, starting today.