Former Pakistan test skipper Tim Paine heaped praise on Australian skipper Pat Cummins for his brilliant captaincy skills and decision-making against the home-favourite India at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Despite helping Australia retain the Ashes and win the World Test Championship (WTC), Cummins took a lot of heat for his captaincy following the team’s loss against India and South Africa. The fast-bowling all-rounder has led Australia to remarkable success in 36 games across all formats, winning 23 games and most importantly leading them to two ICC titles under his captaincy.
Speaking on SEN Tassie, Tim Paine lauded Pat Cummins for his bold decision to bowl first on a difficult surface in Ahmedabad. He was also praised for his on-field ideas and tactics. He feels that the field set to Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul was brilliant, which eventually paid off for the Six-time ODI Champions.
“When we won the toss I think Pat Cummins shocked everyone a bit with the call to bowl first, Bowling first was the first call. Then when we were bowling, you could see the homework that went into it. The fields we had early to Rohit Sharma, that deep point, slip, and Glenn Maxwell at like a fly slip”.
“Then to change that around as soon as they saw the wicket was a bit slower and the ball got older to Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, at times we went with four guys on the offside and no cover. I haven’t seen that in one-day cricket,” Tim Paine said.
In Ahmedabad, Pat Cummins won the toss and decided to field first on a dry surface, where they bowled out the in-form Indian team for a modest total of 240 runs. In the chase, Travis Head (137 off 120 balls) and Marnus Labuschagne (58* off 110 balls) pieced together the second-highest partnership in a men’s World Cup final to get the Australians beyond the finish line with 42 balls remaining.
Pat Cummins Had One Of The Great Games As The Captain – Tim Paine
Tim Paine believes that Pat Cummins has had one of the best games as the captain of Australia. He also thinks that the Australian players have stood up for the team when it matters most, whether it be with the ball or the bat. He has been praised for trying to bowl at full tilt, hitting wickets hard, and setting an example for the team.
“I thought Pat Cummins had one of the great games as the captain and then when he bowled, that’s as good as I have seen him for a while. He hasn’t had his best World Cup, but last night, and we’ve spoken about this a lot, Australia has players who stand up in the big moments because they’ve been there before and Cummins did that not just with his leadership, but with the ball”.
“When he went full speed, he was hitting the wicket hard and I thought he set the tone. His captaincy was brilliant, his bowling was outstanding and we were brilliant in the field as well,” Tim Paine added.
With the retirement of Aaron Finch, Pat Cummins was named Australia’s One-Day International captain. After winning the WTC final against India in June, The Australian skipper made some crucial decisions that helped them win nine straight games, including the championship matchup against home team India.
