Title: Pat Cummins Fails to Impress with Poor Tactics on Day 2 at Old Trafford
Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, had a forgettable day on the field during Day 2 of the 4th Ashes Test in Manchester, leaving many questioning his tactics. Former Australian keeper-batter Ian Healy criticized Cummins’ performance as both a bowler and captain, suggesting that he appeared clueless.
England dominated the day, taking a 67-run lead, while Cummins failed to take any wickets in his 16 overs and leaked 93 runs. To make matters worse, he also dropped a couple of catches, adding to his dismal performance.
Speaking on SENQ 693, Healy expressed his disappointment, stating that Cummins continuously bowled to the batsmen’s strengths, particularly Zak Crawley. He remarked, It was not a day to be proud of whatsoever. We couldn’t keep things tight. Cummins had a terrible day on the field. He dropped two catches and seemed oblivious to some. He kept bowling half-paced half volleys. They bowled straight to (Crawley) early, but you have to get the ball away from them and not hit from their favorite areas.
Healy further commented, They whacked us left, right, and over the top. We didn’t have a fielder on the slog sweep for Travis Head, but every fast bowler has got someone out on the boundary. It was just incredible.
Zak Crawley emerged as the star of the show for England, smashing an impressive 189 runs off 183 deliveries, including 21 fours and 3 sixes. He reached his century off just 93 balls and continued his aggressive batting, surpassing 150 at almost a run-a-ball. He formed crucial partnerships of 110 with Moeen Ali and 206 with Joe Root.
Daniel Vettori, Australia’s spin-bowling coach, praised Crawley’s exceptional innings and his ability to take charge against their bowlers, particularly considering the flat surface and lack of seam or swing. He said, I think, first of all, it is how well Crawley played. It was an exceptional innings. He was able to take the game to us like he has all series. He doesn’t let any bowlers settle, and his strike rate is phenomenal. And today he took it to another level. That was the nature of the conditions, too. It was a pretty flat surface, there wasn’t a lot of seam or swing on offer. So it made it even more difficult.
Overall, Cummins’ tactics and performance on Day 2 raised concerns among spectators and commentators. The Australian team will need to regroup and find effective strategies to make a comeback in the remaining days of the test match.
By analyzing the events of the day and considering different perspectives, it is evident that there is room for improvement in Cummins’ leadership and bowling skills. As the series progresses, it will be interesting to see how he adapts and responds to these challenges. However, the Australian team’s ability to bounce back cannot be underestimated, and fans will be eagerly waiting to see how they regroup in the upcoming sessions.
