Australian quick Pat Cummins was absolutely delighted after enjoying the day "where everything came off" as he and Josh Hazlewood combined to dismiss India for just 36 in the second-innings of the first Test in Adelaide.
After conceding a 53-run lead at the halfway mark, Australia needed their bowlers to ensure the Indians aren't able to run away with the game. But Cummins (4/21) and Hazlewood (5/8) went past the tourists' batting line-up inside just 21.2 overs to put the home team well on top. They later won by eight wickets to go 1-0 up in the four-match Test series.
"We thought if we could get them out for 200 today, have a bit of a bat, we'd stay in the game," Cummins told Channel 7 after the win.
"But for that to happen in the first hour, amazing. It was just one of those days where everything came off, everything we tried worked."
The effort was so amazing that it might put a shade over how Australia bowled in the first essay, but Cummins felt they were rewarded better for their lines and lengths on Day 3.
"We found in the first innings there was actually a lot of bounce. So to hit the stumps, it almost felt like it had to be a half volley," he said. "But when we got into our work, we were able to get up there a bit fuller, make the batters make decisions, make it harder to leave the ball and fortunately it all came off today."
For Cummins, this was a bowling act similar in perfection to the one in Headingley last year when they dismissed the England batting line-up for just 67 in the first-innings.
"Last year in Headingley first innings, we had a similar day out. Today and then are by far the best I've seen us bowl."
Cummins also revealed what Hazlewood told Mitchell Starc, their pace partner, who couldn't get any further breakthroughs because of them after four scalps in the first half.
"At one stage he told Starcy, 'I'm going to try and keep my wickets above my runs here', so he was cheeky there towards the end," he said of Hazlewood.
(Inputs from Reuters)
