The 12th game of the ongoing IPL 2020 between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) witnessed an enthralling battle between two Australian superstars Pat Cummins and Steve Smith at Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday (September 30).
Before the start of the IPL 2020, many believed that the KKR had spent too much money at the auction on the World’s No. 1 Test bowler and questions were raised whether Cummins will be able to justify the price tag of INR 15.5 crore in the world’s biggest T20 carnival in the UAE.
However, on Wednesday, the speedster showcased why he is a threat across the three formats of the game during the KKR v RR encounter in Dubai, finishing as the most economical bowler as he conceded just 13 runs and took the crucial wicket of RR skipper Smith in his quota of 3 overs.
Cummins’ brilliant spell indeed played a significant role in KKR’s 37-run win over the RR, as Smith could face only 7 balls in that match and lost his wicket when he had scored just 3 runs to his Aussie compatriot.
The pacer was too hot to handle for Smith as the world’s No.1 Test batsman played only five deliveries from Cummins and found himself in trouble and eventually was dismissed by him.
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The RR captain couldn’t get a single run in the first two balls against Cummins, while next one just went past Smith, nearly hitting his bat, though the Aussie star tried to take charge and hit the 4th ball miles into the air, but he couldn’t survive more as he was caught by KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik behind the stumps on the fifth ball from the tournament’s most expensive overseas star.
Impressed by the battle between two international teammates, former Australian spinner Brad Hogg said the Wednesday’s game shows why Cummins was worth the two million US dollars while saying the pacer made “Smith look like a lower-order batsman” in Dubai.
Hogg said on his YouTube channel: “It was the second over in the chase where the game changed. Pat Cummins, the number one Test bowler in the world up against Steve Smith, the number one Test batsman in the world. Pat Cummins showed that he was worth the million dollars that was forked out for him this IPL. He made Steve Smith look like a lower-order batsman.”
Hailing Cummins’ brilliant bowling against Smith, Hogg further noted: “He had his footwork all over the shop. He was beating him on the outside edge and inside edge. Steve Smith started slogging and he nearly got out on the second-last ball of that over but finally got caught behind on the last ball. Pat Cummins was way too good, way too quick, accurate and Steve Smith didn’t have the answers.”
He signed off by saying, “All Steve Smith had to do was play that over out and attack the likes of Mavi, Nagarkoti and the younger bowlers of that KKR outfit and RR would have been in a better position. But he didn’t, he had a brain fade and that cost RR the game and gave KKR the win.”
