The Australian coaching staff praised captain Pat Cummins for his exceptional performance in the Ashes series, despite accusations that he appeared lost and confused during England’s strong batting display on day two in Manchester.
During the first three Tests of the series, Cummins not only met but possibly exceeded expectations as a bowling captain, securing 14 wickets at an impressive average of just 23. His remarkable contributions with both the ball and the bat in the opening match at Edgbaston received well-deserved acclaim, and he showed great control against England’s aggressive batting at Lord’s.
However, after being dismissed for only one run in the second innings of the third Test at Headingley, which led to England’s victory and kept the series alive, Cummins’ performance seemed to falter.
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During the Test matches in Leeds and Manchester, the Australian captain, Pat Cummins, had a tough time as he struggled with his bowling, going for more than five runs per over in Leeds and remaining wicketless while conceding 93 runs off 16 overs in Manchester, where Zac Crawley dominated the Australian attack.
In addition to his bowling woes, Cummins faced criticism for dropping two catches and received scrutiny for his field placings and tactical decisions. Former Test batter and national selector, Mark Waugh, raised doubts about Cummins’ choices and strategies during the matches.
Former Test captain Ricky Ponting expressed his confusion and concerns about the Australian field placements on the off side, particularly between 4th/5th slip and mid-off, which left a gap despite having tall and fast bowlers generating good pace and often hitting the bat’s splice.
Ponting also questioned why Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, didn’t open the bowling on day two of the match. Instead, he handed the ball to Josh Hazlewood. Ponting found it puzzling and couldn’t provide an answer for the decision. He emphasized that there had been enough happening in the game, with several deliveries going past the outside of the bat and edges not carrying to the fielders. Ponting believed that Cummins needed to involve himself in the bowling attack promptly to address the situation.