Australian Test captain Pat Cummins didn’t have much of a say in the first Test against Sri Lanka as a bowler – he returned with 1/25 in 12 overs in the first innings and wasn’t needed to bowl in the second innings – as the spinners ran riot.
He did, though, make a vital contribution with the bat in Australia’s first innings, playing a quickfire knock of 26 runs in 18 balls, clattering 3 sixes and 1 four. His knock also took Australia’s lead past 100 which was the decider as Sri Lanka were bundled out for only 113 in their second essay, giving the visitors a meagre target of 5 runs which David Warner scaled in four balls as Australia took a 1-0 lead in Galle.
Pat Cummins sends the ball out of the stadium
In the last over of Day 2, the 69th of Australia’s innings, Pat Cummins tore in spinner Jeffrey Vandersay slamming the leg-spinner for two sixes and a four. On the last ball of the over, Vandersay tossed one up and bowled full. Cummins cleared his front leg and went for the all-mighty slog, in spite of hitting it against the turn, the right-hander had struck it clean as a whistle.
It was a maximum from the moment Cummins struck it; how far it will go was only to be seen. And it went a lot far away: over the crowd, outside the stadium, on the road by the stadium! Even the local crowd gave applause to his monstrous hit from the Aussie skipper who had a smile with Nathan Lyon at the end.
You can watch the video here:
Who’s going to find the ball Pat Cummins just hit out of Galle?
#SLvAUS pic.twitter.com/BBSuoiJFm3
— Chloe-Amanda Bailey (@ChloeAmandaB) June 30, 2022
Meanwhile, Cameron Green was named the Player of the Match for his brilliant knock of 77 runs off 109 balls that helped Australia take a big lead of 109 runs after a time when it had looked that Australia will only come near to Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 212.
The hosts bundled like nine pins in their second innings, with Aussie spinners running riot and bowled them out for 113. Nathan Lyon and Travis Head picked four wickets each in Lanka’s second innings while Mitchell Swepson bagged a brace.
Cummins was effusive in praise for his side, in particular Cameron Green.
“We were really clear in our planning. Bravery and proactiveness shown, especially by our batters. Someone like Green has grown up at the WACA, it’s so different. Really happy for him. He was fantastic. He was the difference,” the Aussie captain said.
