‘Well, initially, when I walked out…': Pat Cummins drops verdict on Lord's madness as AUS, SA fight for WTC title
Day 2 of the ongoing WTC Final was an entertaining affair, with Australia leading by 218 runs at Lord's. After posting 212 in their first innings, Australia bowled out South Africa for 138 on Day 2, and then went on to reach 144/8 at Stumps.
After Stumps, Aussie skipper Pat Cummins appeared confident, especially as his side came up with the perfect response, despite a massive Proteas comeback.
Also a 61-run partnership between Alex Carey (43) and Mitchell Starc stabilised the innings for the Aussies, who now lead by 218 runs with two wickets in hand, heading into Day 3.
'Well, initially … when I walked out, anything over 200 (would have been good), so it is good to get over that,' Cummins said.
'But you just want to get as many runs as you can. Hopefully we get another 20 or 30 in the morning. That'd be good. I think that would give us a few more options to bowl to, you know, a few more aggressive fields to set, those kinds of things. But (I'm) happy to have it over 200,' he added.
Sending a message to his teammates ahead of Day 3, Cummins said, 'Ideally we would have a few more wickets in the shed, but I think the trend of the game is that the runs are coming down.'
'It's still pretty difficult out there. I think it is set up pretty well for a day three finish, you'd imagine, tomorrow. But I think we are going to have to bowl well, still, in the fourth innings.'
Dropping his verdict on the pitch, he added, 'I think it is a mixture of the wicket still doing a little bit. Just when it feels like it is not doing anything, one ball suddenly seams quite, quite drastically. But I think both teams bowled really well, really disciplined. There haven't been too many half-volleys. Both teams are just hanging it in that good length area on a pretty tight line. South Africa today, again, they looked pretty tricky, and the wicket has got enough in it to make it even more tricky.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Manipur's Suman eager to cement her place in the Indian women's hockey team
As the Indian women's hockey team begins their European leg of FIH Pro League against Australia at Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre in London on Saturday, one player who will be more than eager to showcase her skills is Manipur's Suman Devi Thoudam. After breaking into the senior team as a teenager way back in 2017 during a Test series against Belarus in Bhopal under the then coach Sjoerd Marijne, she went onto play 12 matches including the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy where India finished second behind South Korea. She played few more games after that but couldn't ever cement her place in the squad and last played during the 2022 Pro League against the Netherlands in Bhubaneswar. However, she has made a comeback into the squad after three years and made her presence felt during India's tour of Australia last month where the Harendra Singh-coached side played five matches and won one. Speaking about her return, Suman said, "During the first game, I felt a bit nervous. But I had played under Harendra sir earlier and he gave me a lot of confidence. Sushila Chanu has also supported me a lot at the camp." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo And the person who was the happiest seeing her return to the team was her father. A hockey player himself during his youth at the local club level, Thoudam Anand Singh used to wear his daughter's jersey and proudly stroll around the neighbourhood. "He stopped doing it though after I was dropped from the team. He had told me then that he would wear them after I made it to the team again," added Suman. A carpenter by profession till a few years back, Anand, hopefully, has started wearing them now and will be watching the Pro League games from Imphal home, where he resides along with his wife. However, this remarkable return wouldn't have been possible but for the coaches at National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Delhi, who gave Suman all the support she needed. "After I was dropped from the squad, I trained hard and worked a lot on my fitness but never did I feel that hockey was over for me. I obviously felt sad but I kept telling myself that I have enough time in my hands to make a comeback," added Suman, who also landed a job in Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) in 2022, much to the relief of her family. This struggle though wasn't anything compared to when she first came to Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy in 2014 and struggled to get accustomed. "I couldn't understand Hindi even a bit, I used to feel nervous and scared, felt like crying and wanted to go back home," recollected the defender, who also led the U-21 side in two invitational meets in 2019. Luckily she persevered and today she has another chance to prove to everybody what she is capable of. And what better opponents to do it against than Australia. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
United News of India
2 hours ago
- United News of India
South Africa 94/2 at tea, need 188 to win WTC final
London, Jun 13 (UNI) The ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord's is finely poised as South Africa reached 94 for 2 at tea on the third day, needing 188 more runs to defeat Australia and claim their maiden WTC title. Chasing a target of 288, the Proteas made a cautious start but were pegged back early when Mitchell Starc removed Ryan Rickelton cheaply for six with the new ball. Despite the early setback, Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder responded with positive strokeplay, stitching together a fluent half-century stand. However, just as the partnership was gaining momentum, Starc struck again to dismiss Mulder for 27, a soft dismissal that gave Australia a much-needed breakthrough. Temba Bavuma, the South African skipper, joined Markram and had a shaky start, surviving a chance on 2 and needing on-field treatment for a hamstring niggle. He remained unbeaten at the break. Markram looked solid at the other end, playing some crisp strokes en route to an unbeaten 49. The pitch, while appearing benign for most part, has shown occasional variable bounce, keeping the Australian bowlers interested. Earlier in the day, Starc's counterattacking half-century lifted Australia to 207 in their second innings. Coming in with the lead under 230, the left-arm pacer remained unbeaten on 58 and added 59 crucial runs with Josh Hazlewood (17) for the 10th wicket, frustrating the South African bowlers. Kagiso Rabada was the standout performer with the ball, finishing with nine wickets in the match. South Africa now require another 188 runs with eight wickets in hand to claim victory, while Australia will look to their experienced pace attack to close out the match and secure a second consecutive WTC crown. As the final session of Day 3 approaches, the game hangs in the balance — setting the stage for a thrilling finish to the WTC cycle. UNI BDN SSP
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Matthew Hayden's Brave Claim: 'Hazlewood-Cummins-Starc Trio Even Better Than...'
Last Updated: Matthew Hayden praised Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc, claiming they are superior to the legendary Australian pace attack of McGrath, Lee, and Gillespie. Matthew Hayden said that the trio of Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc could be the best pace bowling attack that Australia has produced. He claims that they are even better than the Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, and Jason Gillespie that terrorised a generation of batters. This statement comes after Day 2 of Australia's commanding performance at the World Test Championship final against South Africa in which Australia rebounded after a lacklustre batting performance, all thanks to performances of the Hazlewood-Cummins-Starc trio. Cummins collected 6 wickets, Starc dismissed the South African openers, Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton, whilst Hazlewood collected the scalp of the explosive Tristan Stubbs. 'The trio of Hazlewood, Cummins, and Starc might just be Australia's best-ever pace attack—even better than McGrath, Gillespie, and Lee—because they've bowled more together, in more combinations. Add Nathan Lyon to the mix, and it's an 'awesome foursome.' Australia did well to pull ahead despite pressure. South Africa fought back hard, making this a seesaw contest. It's been a fantastic Test match so far, and Day 3 promises more drama," said Hayden. 'Cummins does everything right—he challenges the off stump, uses the slope, and targets the top of the stumps, making batters play constantly. He now has over 300 Test wickets despite not bowling for five and a half years due to injury. That's extraordinary." Australia currently lead by 218 runs which puts them in major control ahead of Day 3. There hasn't been a single century partnership yet, and that could make a huge difference in the fourth innings. Even if Australia gets a lead of 250, South Africa will need a 100-run stand and another 50-run partnership to stay in the game. Ironically, more wickets have fallen when the sun's been out, not under overhead conditions. It speaks more about batting rust than exceptional bowling," he concluded. First Published: June 13, 2025, 13:19 IST
