Pat Cummins, Australia’s most successful pace bowler over the last four series, has twice struck first in the Test against Sri Lanka at The Gabba.
In the first dig, Cummins – bowling behind Mitchell Starc and Jhye Richardson – sent Lahiru Thirimanne packing first with his eighth delivery, the 62nd of the innings.
The second time round, bowling behind Starc, Richardson and Nathan Lyon, dismissed the other opener Diluth Kurunaratne first with his sixth delivery, the 24th of the innings.
Cummins’ strike rate is phenomenal on what turned out to be an eventful day, with the Australians leading by 162 runs although the Sri Lankans have nine wickets in hand, and still three days remaining.
The key to any Australian success is passing the 300-run barrier.
Every time the baggy green batting has cracked that number in the first innings over the last 13 Tests that reached a decision, they have won handsomely.
Against England at The Gabba in the first Test in November 2017, Australia posted 328 to win by ten wickets.
Against England in the second Test at Adelaide in December 2017, Australia cruised to eight (declared) for 442 to win by 120.
Against England in the third Test at Perth in December 2017, Australia went even better with nine (declared) for 662 to romp home by an innings and 41.
Against South Africa in the first Test at Durban in March 2018, Australia scored 351 to win by 118.
And against India in the second Test at Perth in December 2018, Australia posted 326 to win by 146.
Five wins in 13 completed Tests should become six in 14 when The Gabba is decided.
Australia posted 323 yesterday thanks to Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head and the new boy on the block Kurtis Patterson batting as you would expect from Test men, protecting their wicket as though their very lives depended on it.
Not so teammates Marcus Harris, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Tim Paine, Cummins and Richardson, who all departed to low percentage, even stupid, shots to pay the ultimate penalty.
Kurtis Patterson showed calm and grit, on the other hand. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Labuschagne and Head knuckled down to some spirited Sri Lankan bowling, but they sure weren’t hand grenades.
If there’s to be any criticism, it’s the inability of this side to turn over the strike so they get bogged down with inertia.
Yet, they posted the first 50 partnership of the Test, only the second century stand for Australia this summer after Aaron Finch and Harris’ 112 for the first wicket against India at Perth, finishing with 166 off 277 deliveries.
Most of their partnership was at a funereal pace, but they were showing the others that occupancy and patience can be rewarded.
When Australia was 4-101, Head was eight off 28, Labuschagne two off 33.
At 4-140, Head was 24 off 49, Labuschagne 23 off 66 and, at 4-195, Head was 47 off 101, Labuschagne 54 off 111.
Labuschagne was first out with the Australian top score of the summer – 81 off 150 – with just three fours.
Head topped that with 84 off 187, with ten fours, but both denied themselves their first Test tons – and the first for Australia this season – by forgetting how they got there, protecting their wicket.
It was a double waste.
The 192cm leftie Patterson with a pencil thin frame, took 14 deliveries to score his first Test run, finishing with 30 off 82 with four to the rope, but showed enough to prove his selection was warranted.
It took a 26-run cameo off 25 from Mitchell Starc to crack the 300 barrier when Labuschagne, Head or Patterson should have still been in the middle.
But beggars can’t be choosers in a side that, by normal Australian batting standards, is well below par.
They have Sri Lanka by the throat, and a win would be more than welcome.
No doubt Pat Cummins will have the major say in that.
Paul
Roar Guru
Chris, I think you're last point, if fixed, would certainly help the first two issues. Guys are getting frustrated at not scoring at all which is affecting both their concentration and their need to try and put bat on ball to score. If they got more singles, both concentration and leaving the ball would have to improve.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I’d say there are three big issues with the batting. – There are definitely technical issues that mean batsmen struggle to counter the moving ball, and there’s no amount of just “hating getting out” that will save them in the middle (the way hating getting out works to stop those sorts of dismissals is significant self-analysis and massive amounts of hard work to fix issues in your technique so you can counter those sorts of deliveries, not just working harder in some way while batting in a test match). – There have been a dramatic number of dismissals this summer, especially against India, which were just absolutely horrific shots. Shot selection and/or execution has been terrible. Concentration, and just continuing to practice until better shot selection becomes ingrained, certainly is needed. – The inability to find singles – so often batsmen tried to be patient, but that patience resulted in complete stagnation, because they weren’t even finding singles. This then builds pressure that often results in one of those horrible shots mentioned above.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Getting out nicking a good, well placed outswinger with a defensive stroke can point to technique deficiencies, certainly if batsmen keep getting out that way, but I'd hardly describe that as self-destruction. Lots of dismissals this season clearly were self-destruction. Simply playing bad shots they shouldn't be playing has probably accounted for 80% of the Aussie dismissals against India. And a lot of that comes from build up of pressure, as they can't find more low risk methods to keep the scoreboard ticking over, get bogged down, and finally try to hit a boundary and get out.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
What this test showed is, if Cummins is given a ball that's swinging, he can get great seam position to make the ball swing too. But he does utilize cross-seam well when the ball isn't swinging. I think largely for a variation in bounce he gets from cross seam. The ability to bowl two balls in the same spot, one hits the leather and skids through lower, and the other hits the seam and jumps a bit, gives him some ability to get variation and jag wickets when there isn't any swing, which is unfortunately very common with the red Kookaburra. But it was good to see that he well and truly can stand the seam up and get swing when it's available. Which suggests he will likely do well in England with the Dukes ball too.
David Lord
Expert
Paul, it’s the entire point I’m making, there’s no-one in this team that consistently treasures his time in the middle so they keep gift-wrapping their wickets to bowlers, and Steve Smith is obviously not there. Operative word – no-one.
Paul
Roar Guru
David, I agree Australia has been guilty far too often in recent years of throwing away their wicket, but that's a whole different point from that which you made in this piece. Your comments about great batting sides are also fair enough, but even the most rusted on Australian supporter would have to concede the current lineup is not even in the "good" category at present. "Emerging, developing or promising" - okay, but the only guy who really prizes his wicket and HATES to get out is Smith
David Lord
Expert
For the sake of the discussion, if I give you Paul, and DaveJ, your complaints it’s a very small percentage of the carnage the current baggy greens have created for themselves this summer. Tough marker? Not at all. Great batting teams like the two above found a way to keep great bowlers at bay, that’s why they accumulated so many huge totals to win so many Tests. It was very rare for any of them to gift-wrap their wicket to the bowler. And it all boils down to how much you treasure your time in the middle. The greats do it automatically, the lesser lights don’t know how often enough.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Sorry David but it’s not self-destruction to just get beaten playing a good ball on its merits. Those wickets happen precisely because the batsmen aren’t as talented or experienced as Ponting, Hayden etc, which is what makes that actual poor dismissals (Harris, Khawaja and Labuschagne) so frustrating.
Paul
Roar Guru
I think the selectors are hoping exactly the same thing as you, Rob. An inform Starc could terrorise England in the Ashes, if their first innings effort in the West Indies is any guide
Paul
Roar Guru
Sorry David, but there's no way Paine or Cummins got out to "a low percentage or stupid shot". From time to time bowlers do get it in the right place and genuinely get guys out. And you're giving Nathan Lyon grief about getting out, when the Sri Lankan bowlers were in the middle of their best spell for the game? You're a tough judge.
David Lord
Expert
Really, good chance Joe Burns thought so too.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
In what sense did Joe Burnsl depart to a low percentage or stupid shot? What absolute drivel.
David Lord
Expert
JamesH, in my book every Australian dismissal was self-destruction against Sri Lanka. Throughout the summer, the vast majority of Australian dismissals have been in the self-destruction category which is both a batsman’s natural ability and mental problem, and a coaching problem. Self-destruction was a rarity in the Matt Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Damian Martyn, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Jason Gillepie, Glenn McGrath era. In fairness, there’s also a massive gap in the two teams in natural ability. The same could be said for the Mark Taylor, Geoff Marsh, David Boon, Allan Border, Dean Jones, Steve Waugh, Ian Healy, Trevor Hohns, Merv Hughes, Geoff Lawson, and Terry Alderman era even though they weren’t nearly as chockablock in natural talent as the aforementioned.
JamesH
Roar Guru
“Not so teammates Marcus Harris, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Tim Paine, Cummins and Richardson, who all departed to low percentage, even stupid, shots to pay the ultimate penalty.” Burns, Lyon, Paine and Cummins all got out nicking off while trying to defend a good ball. Not exactly low percentage or stupid. Maybe a couple of them could have left the ball in hindsight but they hardly did anything reckless. Lakmal just got each of them with lovely bowling. And why have a crack at Richardson? The number 11 who was going for quick runs so they could have a crack at Sri Lanka under lights? Labuschagne’s shot was worse than any of the guys you’ve named.
sittingbison
Roar Pro
Heads two swipes at wide full deliveries when he was on 4 (one a snick over 2nd slip) showed poor temperament and composure. He has already been out exactly the same way three times against India, and now SL lured him into the same trap with ease.
sittingbison
Roar Pro
You are both right
David Lord
Expert
liquorbox, what do these words above mean to you? Most of their partnership was at a funereal pace, but they were showing the others occupancy and patience can be rewarding. Head and Labuschagne forgot how they got to the 80s by protecting their wicket. liquorbox, you are quite right strike rates aren’t important in a five-day Test until two batsmen don’t turnover the strike, become bogged down, then try to pick up lost momentum to play a low percentage, or stupid, shot and head for the shed. Batting strike rates in Tests are unimportant, but turning over the strike is vital.
Extra Short Leg
Roar Rookie
Cummins seemed to have the ball held to get traditional swing with the new ball, ala Jimmy Anderson. Hopefully the penny has dropped with the bowling coach and the value of movement is again being encouraged. We need more than out and out pace, especially on flat pitches.
liquorbox_
Roar Rookie
It is a five day test match, we were just destroyed by India with the best player of this summer demonstrating that scoring runs quickly is not important in a Test match and still every article related to test cricket by Mr Lord refers to strike rates. Why? Surely runs are the most important statistic, good 5 day technique and the ability to play off a bowling spell to allow you to face a lesser bowler is a skill that should be desirable, it is Test by name and by nature, it is meant to be a test of character, temperament and skill. Please try to limit the focus of strike rates to the gimmicky versions of the game. The only strike rate of importance in Test matches is the bowling strike rate, arguably more important than the run average per wicket. Despite this, thanks for the articles you write
Rob
Guest
Maybe Starc needs some consistent bowling to hopefully rediscover his mojo. He’s a rhythm confidence bowler so giving him this series to rediscover his best form might get him fit and firing for the WC. and Ashes? An in form Starc is a match winning bowler. Cummins is doing great at first change and as Ronan said he doesn’t use swing to beat the bat.