Pat Cummins has proved this summer he’s Australia’s most lethal paceman, but he can’t get his hands on the new ball.
That honour has been exclusively reserved for Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, but when Starc missed the current Test in Johannesburg to be replaced by newcomer Chadd Sayers, Cummins was still ignored, this time by new skipper Tim Paine.
Unfazed, Cummins has returned career-best match figures of 9-141 in Johannesburg, and for good measure scored a career-best 50.
Cummins is also one of the best boundary riders saving plenty of runs in the deep. He is very much the complete cricketer.
But it’s his bowling that demands attention.
Every delivery is full of passion, he leaves nothing in his approach.
But he’s more than that, he is consistently the fastest of the Australian trio, the most accurate, the hardest to handle, the most feared by the opposition – and the most successful.
To further prove the point, Cummins was the leading wicket-taker in the Ashes, and has repeated the performance in South Africa.
In the Ashes he snared 23 wickets for 567 – average 24.65 – and 22 for 472, average 21.45, in South Africa.
Combine those, and Cummins is by far Australia’s most successful bowler this summer of nine Tests with 45 wickets at 23.09.
(AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
By comparison, Starc’s combined stats are 34 wickets at 27.38 from one less Test – and Hazlewood’s 33 at 30.76.
Offie Nathan Lyon can also take a bow in Johannesburg after his marathon 81 overs in taking 5-298 with an economy rate of 3.67.
But Cummins and Lyon are rare bright spots in a Test that has been cut to ribbons by the suspensions of Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft.
South African skipper Faf du Plessis has done nothing to make this Test memorable.
Nobody could blame him delaying a declaration today until he scored his first century of the series to end a drought.
At the time South Africa led by 507, more than enough for Australia to chase.
To be brutally honest, this Australian team would battle to score 507 in two innings.
But du Plessis ploughed on, perhaps to give the boring Dean Elgar a chance of his second century in the series.
No, when Elgar was dismissed for 81, and South Africa led by 524, du Plessis still didn’t declare until the lead was a massive 611 at tea.
(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
He tried to cover his decision by letting the television commentators know Morne Morkel had a side strain, Kagiso Rabada a bad back, and Vernon Philander a groin strain – South Africa’s three top quicks.
While the commentators were advising viewers of the news, Philander was in the middle lofting sixes off Lyon, and strongly hooking, hardly groin injury shots.
And the fake news from the shed was blown to bits when Rabada, Morkel, and Philander were all bowling flat out from the start as Australia began the chase of an unlikely 612 for victory.
What else would you expect from du Plessis who twice pleaded not guilty to ball tampering charges, despite irrefutable television footage?
Du Plessis was found guilty on both counts, and is still allowed to play.
He will be the last ball-tamperer to get away with it.
Matt H
Roar Guru
Exactly right. He won the match with plenty of time to spare. He wanted to 100% secure the series first before going for the win. I thought it was exactly the right target. It tired out and demoralised the Australians even more, making them easy pickings.
Matt H
Roar Guru
They just don't like making fat, smoking, philandering blond leg spinners.captain. The rest are fine.
MrJSquishy
Roar Pro
Hate is perhaps too strong a word. But, if I was a selector, there would be zero chance of Lyon being in the Australian team...
Brent Buxton
Roar Rookie
The game is long gone but Cummins will be one of the world's greatest bowling allrounders...a bowling version of Kallis...big call but watch!
Jarijari
Guest
You want to start the Cummins for captain club. Not a bad idea. He's probably the only automatic selection/doesn't get injured (anymore).
Jarijari
Guest
What Lordy? Spiteful? Our intrepid innovator whose sporting enlightenment exceeds all known parameters. You've got him mixed up with someone else.
Gav
Guest
Surprised this article doesn't mention Cummins batting. This guy is a superstar!
Steve
Guest
So when it comes to ball tampering, anything less than what the aussies did is perfectly fine, get of your high horse mate.
SJ
Guest
David is clearly upset that Faf eliminated the faintest hope of victory for Australia. He clearly feels that Faf was somehow obligated to keep the game alive. Delusional and bitter.
ADP
Guest
The difficulty with any quick is risk of injury. They break down from time to time, which is probably why we don't see many quicks as captains (I speak under correction).
ADP
Guest
Why so spiteful David? Your bias becomes you. The SA pacemen were not bowling flat out - a fact mentioned by the commentators and the stats. And what does it matter? Faf wants to be dead set sure on at least a draw if not a win, given the feat it would be to pull of a series win against Aus. And that character judgement on Faf that you threw in at the end...grow up. pathetic.
jameswm
Guest
You hate Lyon?
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Yeah, I've only seen this replay also, don't have pay TV, can't actually watch the test apart from these little highlight videos.
peter chrisp
Guest
SJ have to agree although we have no chance why not grind the Aussies into the ground & make them pay and plenty of batting practice for SA & why wouldn't you.
shirtpants
Roar Guru
South Africa earned the right to totally bat Australia into submission. There's no one to blame but themselves. It's a fitting end to the series.
MrJSquishy
Roar Pro
The first half of this article is great, but, you did lose me a little when comparing Hazlewood, Starc and Lyon. How have Hazlewood and Starc been ordinary averaging 30 and 27 respectively (over the last 2 Test series), yet Lyon deserves to take a bow too, based on averaging nearly 60 at a higher run rate than the average for SA in the Test? I'm not sure if the bias I see here is based on your obvious love of Lyon or my hatred of Lyon...probably a bit of both.
Ouch
Guest
First part of the article is great. We would've been even more stuffed without Pat Cummins. Taken 9 out of the 16 SA wickets to fall in this test plus a valuable 50. You didn't need to put that gibe in about the SA captain. Poor form. Everyone knows what he did and what the punishment was. Not his fault his own cricketing board didn't see fit to punish him any further. What surprised me was that Faf has only scored 8 test centuries. Thought it would be much higher than that
MrJSquishy
Roar Pro
Completely agree with your logic there Chris. I think it spun so much he didn't have time between it leaving the pitch and getting to his pad to "play" a "proper" shot. I wasn't watching at the time so have no idea what the ball had been doing prior to that delivery (which might help explain it). But, definitely agree he wasn't padding up. Maybe the wording needs to be changed to allow for when the odd ball takes off like this one did. He clearly wasn't trying to cover his stumps, because had the ball spun another 1 or 2 inches it may have bowled him instead (it hit the extreme left edge of his pad).
Big Daddy
Guest
Cummins. Australian player of the series.
Ozibatla
Guest
I agree take a bow Cummins. His output this summer has been very good with both bat and ball. I dont agree with the Du Plessis comments. Yeh he was busted for ball tampering but thats been and gone. It smacks of sour grapes when we continually bring it up in light of what has recently happened. Regarding his decision to bat on, who cares? Its his choice as captain and they already have 3 Aussies back in the hutch.