Cummins wants video system reviewed, Agar not so horrible, No pink ball for SCG, Proteas optimistic: Talking Points

Pat Cummins says there has to be a better way for the third umpire to adjudicate on catches after Richard Kettleborough was forced to make three contentious decisions during the third Test.

SCG match umpires lodged reviews for three catches taken low to the ground in the slips at the SCG,.

On each occasion, third umpire Kettleborough found evidence the ball had touched the ground before the fielder was able to control it.

Consequently, none of the catches were paid.

Cummins’ teammates Marnus Labuschagne and Josh Hazlewood previously suggested the first step to changing the way such catches were officiated would be to scrap the on-field umpire’s soft signal, given the third umpire overturned it on two of the three occasions.

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“I don’t really know the answers but there has to be a way to try and improve it somehow,” Cummins said after the Test against South Africa ended in a draw.

Australia celebrate with the trophy. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

“As it currently stands, it’s really hard to give a batter out. If there’s any kind of benefit of the doubt, it goes the batter’s way.

“I think with a couple of camera angles really slowed down, it’s pretty hard to not find doubt somewhere. I do feel for Ketts a little bit up there.”

In making a decision, the third umpire only has access to footage from the host broadcaster, Fox Sports and not from Seven Network cameras.

“Maybe there’s more cameras we can use down the track,” Cummins said.

Proteas captain Dean Elgar was visibly frustrated when his side was on the receiving end of the first non-catch call but at stumps said he was pleased the umpires remained consistent throughout the match.

“The way the umpires conducted the three was pretty good. I think it was brilliant,” he said.

“Once you’ve set the bar with the first one, you can’t really budge much from there.

“Those things are always going to be a grey area, some guys will say out, some guys will say not out. At the end of the day, their decision is final and as players we respect that.”

Agar to get ticket to India

Ashton Agar is guaranteed a spot on next month’s tour of India, but Australia are no certainty to play two frontline spinners throughout the four-Test series.

Agar endured a difficult return to Test cricket after five years out in Sydney, bowling 22 wicketless overs as Australia failed in their bid to force a win against South Africa.

Captain Pat Cummins insisted afterwards on Sunday that the match was not an audition for India, particularly given the surface did not break up as expected after lengthy rain delays.

Australia will name their squad for the tour this week, with Agar expected to be one of four spinners alongside Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy and Mitchell Swepson or Adam Zampa.

“I’m sure Ash will be there,” Cummins said.

“This wicket was a bit different to India. It wasn’t spinning out of the middle of the wicket. 

“Indian wickets sometimes really break up, even from the middle of the wicket. And left-arm orthodox becomes really effective against right-handed batters. 

“It was 800 runs (for the game) and three wickets for spin for the game (in Sydney). It wasn’t easy but I thought he bowled really well.”

Agar’s selection in Sydney indicated he had become the country’s second spinner ahead of Swepson, who debuted in Pakistan last year.

Australia played two spinners throughout their 2017 series loss in India, with Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon each taking 19 wickets.

But the emergence of Travis Head alongside Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne could change that thinking.

Cummins admitted he had under-bowled Head at the SCG, with the offspinner Australia’s most threatening at times.

Australia played three pacemen throughout their last series win in India in 2004, with a heavy reliance on reverse swing.

Nathan Lyon. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

“Each game in India we might need to chop up differently. Maybe one game it is three quicks, another it is one quick,” Cummins said.

Cameron Green will be crucial to that as pace-bowling backup, with both he and Mitchell Starc hopeful to be back from fractured fingers by the second Test in Delhi.

Australia are adamant they have the best possible build up to the four-Test series starting on February 9 in Nagpur, after a 1-0 series win in Pakistan last year and 1-1 draw in Sri Lanka.

“We’re as good a chance as we’re ever going to be,” Cummins said. “No-one’s going over there blind … having the experience in Pakistan and Sri Lanka last year has put us in really good stead.

“It’s been another fantastic summer. This bowling attack, weathering the storm at the Gabba, then the MCG and then coming here (to the SCG), it’s different again. 

“The way our batting group have stood up has been fantastic.

“Other than this game in the shortened time frame, we’ve been able to get 20 wickets each Test match in different circumstances. I feel like we’re adapting really well.”

Pink ball not answer in Sydney, says skipper

Pat Cummins has discouraged Cricket Australia from reimagining the Sydney Test as a pink-ball fixture despite bad light contributing to the draw against South Africa.

A day-and-a-half’s worth of play was lost to wet weather and bad light at the SCG and Australia ran out of time on Sunday to bowl the Proteas out twice, despite looking on top for most of the match.

Day one was overshadowed by two bad light stoppages, the first of which came at only 2.15pm.

The delays led SCG Trust chair Tony Shepherd to suggest reconfiguring the annual SCG fixture as a day-night pink-ball Test could be a way to avoid future stoppages.

Shepherd also floated the possibility of simply substituting red balls for pink in the midst of a daytime Test if bad light made playing with the red ball untenable.

Pat Cummins. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Cummins admitted the prospect of missing cricket was never ideal, but said it was not as simple as switching to a pink-ball contest.

“Pink ball is a huge change. It’s not like for like,” he told reporters. “I think here at the SCG it would be hard to play a pink ball just with how abrasive the wicket is. It moves really differently to the red ball. Personally, I would still like it to be a red ball. We don’t like missing overs. Maybe, if there is any chance of missing overs late, start earlier.”

Visiting Proteas captain Dean Elgar also urged caution.

“I think it’s taking the mickey a bit if you start with a red one and you change to a pink one,” he said. “Test cricket is known for the red ball. That’s why you grow up playing Test cricket, you want to play with the red ball. I still think authenticity and the uniqueness around the format needs to be respected.”

Elgar said playing on through darkness was not the answer, either.

“There were times (at the SCG) when honestly we couldn’t see the ball. That’s not over-exaggerating,” he said. “I know it’s a tough one and no-one has come up with a concept yet but player safety for me is important.

“Just imagine that happens, a guy gets hit at gully on the head and it’s dark, it’s raining. I mean, common sense needs to take over there.”

Proteas coach says they’re not far off best

South Africa coach Malibongwe Maketa believes the gulf between his side and the top Test nations is not as wide as it appears but the Proteas will have few opportunities to play catch-up because of a sparse red-ball schedule.

South Africa return home after a 2-0 series loss to Australia was wrapped up with a draw at the SCG.

Lacklustre batting thwarted the Proteas with highest score posted by a South African player being 65.

With the ball, South Africa took 38 wickets across the three Tests, compared to Australia’s 52. 

The Australian team was considerably more seasoned as well, having brought 258 more games of Test experience into the series finale, but interim coach Maketa said South Africa were not that far behind the Australians.

He was encouraged by the performance of his bowling unit and suggested that had the Proteas batters been able to form a solid partnership on a bowler-friendly Gabba wicket in the series opener, the match could have panned out differently.

“I can’t say it’s difficult, they’ve beaten us 2-0, to gauge the gap,” Maketa said.

“How big the gap is, it might feel big because of how we went about it in the first two Test matches but I don’t think it’s that big.

“If you look at our bowling attack and you look at the fact that we competed here, I really do believe (if) two batters put their hands up in that first Test, we win the game.”

But Maketa conceded as things stand, it would be difficult for his inexperienced side to begin taking steps to improve unless Cricket South Africa began scheduling more Test matches.

(Photo by Jason McCawley – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

The country’s new IPL-backed SA20 T20 league is due to begin its inaugural tournament in the coming days and South Africa is set to prioritise white-ball internationals in the months that follow it. 

In the next 12 months, South Africa is scheduled to play only four Tests. In that timeframe, Australia will play at least 12.

“I know Cricket South Africa is working hard on getting more and more Test matches for us,” Maketa said.

“It’s been said enough that we’d like to play more for us to grow and for these players to grow, they have to play. They need to be exposed.

“I felt we had enough first-class experience but that’s nowhere near enough to compete at this level.”