Mike Hussey, the former Australia batter hailed Pat Cummins’ captaincy after the fourth Ashes 2021/22 Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) ended in a draw. England batted for 102 overs to save the 4th Test. England lost the first match by 9 wickets at the Gabba, the second game by 275 runs at Adelaide Oval, and the third game by an innings and 14 runs at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Australia had England nine wickets down with two overs to go, but Stuart Broad and James Anderson managed to hang on and deny the hosts a win. Usman Khawaja’s remarkable Player of the Match performance, with centuries in both innings, ensured Australia was the only team that could win the match.
Mike Hussey: Tactically Speaking, Pat Cummins Did A Good Job As Skipper
Mike Hussey, however, said Australian pacer Pat Cummins did well as captain and nearly got the job done.
The 46-year-old said: “I thought he was very good. I would give him a very good mark out of 10. I think the way he rang the changes today, he changed the bowlers around from different ends. I thought his field positioning was excellent as well. Almost got the job done.”
Mike Hussey said the only question was whether Pat Cummins may have made the choice to declare earlier in their second innings to give the bowlers more time to knock England over, but admitted that tactically, he was spot on.
“The only thing is, if he had the chance again, would he have maybe declared perhaps half an hour earlier? They had plenty of runs on the board for that pitch. England were always going to struggle to get that many. But tactically speaking, he did a very, very good job,” Mike Hussey elaborated.
He also praised how Pat Cummins handled his bowling while also captaining the side. Mike Hussey noted that while he didn’t pick up a wicket for a while in the second innings, he came back to bowl a brilliant spell, dismissing Jos Buttler and Mark Wood in the same over.
“Cummins didn’t pick up a wicket in the second innings for quite a period of time and I was wondering if he was juggling in his mind between his captaincy side of things and the bowling side of things. But then, he was able to compartmentalise that, come back on for that amazing spell. He saw the moment and seized the moment.”
Australia skipper Pat Cummins defended his decision to delay a team declaration after being denied a fourth straight Test win by plucky England in Sydney on Sunday. The battered English team defended desperately in the final overs to cling on for a draw with just one wicket left– and end Australia’s quest for a five-Test series whitewash ahead of this week’s final Hobart match. Australia declared at 265 for six, leaving the tourists with a massive 388 runs to win.
Mike Hussey: Scott Boland Is A Captain’s Dream
Aussie pacer Scott Boland followed up his brilliant performance in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne with yet another good showing at the SCG. The pacer returned figures of 4/36 in England’s first innings and 3/30 in their second essay. Having made his Test debut at 32, Scott Boland is a late entrant into the international arena, but Mike Hussey said he had the advantage of experience and knowing his best game.
“I think the advantage he’s got is he has played a lot of First-Class Cricket. He has a great understanding of his game and what he needs to do to have success. Quite often when young players come into the Test match arena, they are still trying to find out what their best game looks like and what it feels like.”
Mike Hussey went on to lavish praise on the fast bowler, saying: “Scott Boland has been around for a long time, he’s had a lot of success. He thoroughly deserved his opportunity to play for Australia. And what a performance it’s been in his first two Test matches. The showing in Melbourne, he showed that it wasn’t just a flash in the pan and he can back it up with another fantastic performance.”
In conclusion, the southpaw said: “He’s a captain’s dream. He’s so disciplined with his line and length. I think he’s the most accurate bowler that’s ever played for Australia.”
Scott Boland surprised himself with a sensational debut at his home ground. The Victorian pacer returned with figures of 4-1-7-6 as Australia bowled England out for 68 in the second innings of the 3rd Test to retain the Ashes urn. He received the Johnny Mullagh medal as a player of the match in front of his home crowd. With Australia leading the Ashes 3-0, the final Test in Hobart is set to begin on January 14.