London, June 13 (IANS) Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden highlighted Pat Cummins’ pivotal role in restricting South Africa in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s, saying the Aussie skipper does everything right and lauded the right-arm pacer for completing 300 Test wickets despite not playing the format for over five years after his debut.

Cummins brought up his 14th five-wicket haul on the way to picking a sensational 6-28 to help bundle out South Africa for 138 in 57.1 overs on the second day at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground on Thursday. In the process, he has also become just the eighth bowler from Australia to have taken more than 300 Test scalps.

After making his Test debut in Johannesburg against South Africa in 2011, where he took seven wickets, including six in South Africa’s second innings and was named Player of the match, he didn’t play another Test for five years and four months as his injury-ravaged body struggled with the demands of professional cricket.

“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,” Hayden said on Jio Hotstar.

Besides Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood also struck with the ball, bowling South Africa out for just 138. Australia had pressed further ahead after a slow start in their second innings, only to end Day 2 reeling at 144/8, enjoying a 218-run lead.

“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,” added Hayden.

Hayden also provided his assessment on the overall batting performance from both the teams, saying, “Looking at Day 2 performance, an equal number of wickets have fallen over the two days. Batters seem a bit rusty in terms of Test match batting. The lateral movement has made footwork difficult—they’re getting hit on the pads, edging deliveries. Bowlers have dominated this match. 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.”

Sharing his views on what batters must improve going forward, Hayden added, “Test match cricket demands that you get comfortable with not scoring quickly—something that’s the opposite of what the shorter formats teach. T20 batting encourages moving away from the ball to create space and power, but in Tests, that becomes a weakness.

“Dismissals like those of Labuschagne, Green, and Webster all stemmed from not getting close to the ball. We were taught to ‘smell the leather’—to let the ball come under your eyes. In the longer format, that means moving towards the ball, not away from it. At the moment, there are clear technical deficiencies as these players readjust to Test cricket.”

–IANS

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