Australia’s pace spearhead, Pat Cummins recently became the most expensive foreign buy ever in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after being for a whopping ₹15.50 crore bid from two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). And it seems Cummins is proving their gamble right with his performances on the field for his country.
The number one Test bowler in the world was the wrecker-in-chief as Australia bowled out New Zealand for a meager total of 148 in reply to the hosts’ 467. New Zealand collapsed under an unrelenting Australian pace barrage with Pat Cummins leading the line with his figures of five for 28.
ALSO READ: Tim Paine Criticises DRS After His Controversial Dismissal
Australian fans were all praise for the fast bowler, with one even going as far as asking him to be made the Prime Minister of the country.
Give him $50million. Make him PM. I don’t know, but @patcummins30 deserves everything coming his way.
What an absolute star! 🙌🏽🔥 @7Cricket #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/v72gTf4Go7
— Trent Copeland (@copes9) December 28, 2019
Girls can have a little Pat Cummins, as a treat. #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/pz9cNndVcA
— maddie (@_maddie_) December 28, 2019
Pat Cummins is worth millions 🏏🏏🏏🏏
— Lorraine Cooper (@Lorrain68103484) December 28, 2019
How would I be able to set my daughter up with Pat Cummins.
How good is he— Dave (@dchet5) December 27, 2019
Pat cummins be like #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/HLANlONjFF
— Prince Bharath (@bharathcm2) December 28, 2019
Pat Cummins is surely a smart bowler, he knows how to set the plan to dismiss a batsman! The way he created doubts in Latham's mind that he's bowling on the same line and length and few balls later just changed it to little wide and deceived him, completely outstanding!
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 28, 2019
PAT CUMMINS. Nobody deserves this 5 wicket haul more than him. Just keeps running in and bowls relentlessly. Well done boy. Need a minimum of 1 more wicket now to complete 100 international wickets in this calendar year. Get there.👍#AUSvNZ #AUSvsNZ
— Maitri (@pull_playlist) December 28, 2019
New Zealand had begun Day 3 on 44 for two, having lost skipper, Kane Williamson and opener, Tom Blundell, in a fiery bowling spell late on Friday. Things only got from bad to worse on Day 3 for the visitors as the Australian pace trio of Cummins, James Pattinson, and Mitchell Starc ran riot at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Saturday.
Starc scalped a couple of wickets, Pattinson accounted for another three while Cummins ended the innings with a five-wicket haul — his fifth in the Test cricket.
ALSO READ: PCB comments on Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria matter
For New Zealand, only opener Tom Latham offered some resistance, surviving 144 balls in a dogged 50 before he too succumbed to Cummins. Neil Wagner with an unbeaten 18 was the second-highest scorer for the visitors in a dismal batting performance. Six New Zealand players failed to get past the single-digit such was the dominance of Australia’s pace battery.
Australia decided against enforcing the follow-on with David Warner and Joe Burns walking out for Australia’s second innings. New Zealand needed a result at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to keep the three-Test series alive after being crushed by 296 runs in the opening day-night match in Perth.
