ASHES 2019: Pat Cummins happy with his second innings spell at Edgbaston

Cummins picked up 4/32 to complete a match-haul of 7/116 in Australia's win.

Pat Cummins | Getty

While Nathan Lyon stole the limelight with his 6/49, Pat Cummins did also deliver a spell worth remembering to help Australia clinch a 251-run victory over England on Day 5 of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. 

Cummins took 4/32 when the pitch was offering least it did for the pacers across five days and completed a match-haul of 7/116 in his country's first win in Birmingham since 2001. 

"It's those kinds of spells you remember the most... when it's to win a Test match. Day-five wicket, didn't feel like there was a lot in it for us bowlers up to that point, but one of those moments where I felt in really good rhythm, the ball was hard, there seemed to be a bit of zip in the wicket and that's when I love it," the man himself was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz

"Trying to break up a partnership or get that crucial wicket to win the match - I love that, so I enjoy that role when it comes off, when it doesn't, it's normally pretty hard work, but yeah I enjoyed that day five."

"I felt like with each spell I got a little bit better and better. I haven't played a lot of red-ball [cricket] coming into the first day's play, and I think just trying to find that tempo of Test cricket - it's slightly different to white ball, and I think mixed into that the excitement and the nerves of first spell in Ashes over here." 

This Ashes is an opportunity for Cummins to further stamp his authority as one of the world's best pacers around. 

"I was pretty pumped up and felt probably by the lunch session I was into my work and pretty happy how I was going. Definitely, by the end of the game I felt a lot better than that first spell."

"First Test I came in pretty fresh for that Test match and luckily we had a big break, so I knew that was the carrot at the end of the game that we were going to get 10 days off, so it was pretty easy to tear in that last day. I feel really good; haven't really done much in the last few days and [have] just build up nicely. I feel 100%," he added. 

Cummins, who came back to Test cricket in 2017 after fighting long battles with several injuries since his debut in 2010, is hoping to play all the five Tests this series and eyes a bag full of wickets in Australia's dream first Ashes win in UK in 18 years. 

"I think it's one of those things where it's just great that we've got that flexibility, so I think every game you're going to pick your best three bowlers you think are going to win that match."

"I guess we're lucky we've got six guys here who are a real chance of playing every game. Personally, I'll be hoping to play every game, and if I'm fully fit and bowling well I expect to, but it's good we've got plenty of bowlers here," he concluded. 

(Inputs from Cricbuzz)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 12 Aug, 2019

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