Australia captain Pat Cummins said that it was a "dream start" for the team after the hosts bowled out England for just 147 in the first innings of the ongoing first Test of the Ashes 2021-22 on Wednesday (December 8) at The Gabba, Brisbane.
England could face only 50.1 overs for paltry 147 on the opening day of the first Ashes Test against Australia, and Cummins said that it was not bad to lose the toss to Joe Root after witnessing the English batting line-up collapse in Brisbane on Wednesday.
In the first innings, England skipper Root was bowled out for a duck, while Jos Buttler was the top scorer for the tourists with 39 runs off 58 balls, with Cummins returning with a five-wicket haul at The Gabba.
Mitchell Starc (2/35) and Josh Hazlewood (2/42) each took two wickets for Australia, while Cummins took five wickets while conceding only 38 runs against England. Cameron Green also took his maiden Test wicket by dismissing Ollie Pope for 35.
Cummins said at the virtual press conference: “It is a dream start. It was not a bad toss to lose. Starc started off nicely, all bowlers did their job and to keep England under 150 is something to be proud of. It was nice to take a fifer.”
Starc took the wicket of Rory Burns (0) on the very first ball of the Ashes series and the skipper said: “Pumped for Mitchell Starc, it was an exciting way to start the series. When you think the first ball of an Ashes series, your mind goes to Steve Harmison, hopefully, this will be a new memory now.”
Cummins further said that the contest is currently 50-50 between Australia and England in the first Ashes Test while saying he would have probably batted first if he had won the toss, but insisted that the toss would not have much impact on the game in Brisbane.
He signed off by saying, “It is really 50-50. I was probably going to bat, but I knew the toss would not have that of a bearing. Pretty standard Day 1 wicket.”
(With ANI Inputs)
