Quote:AUSTRALIA’S youthful pace battery will fight fire with fire when it confronts South Africa in the third one-day international in Canberra tomorrow, according to recalled 21-year-old fast bowler Pat Cummins.
South Africa fast bowlers Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn ripped through the Australian batting line-up in Perth on Sunday to set up a victory that left the five-match series poised at 1-all.
The selectors have opted to rest Australia’s spearhead Mitchell Johnson for the rest of the series in preparation for the Test series against India, and recalled Cummins and Mitchell Starc, who have recovered from injury.
Cummins impressed in his international return for the recent T20 series and is keen to get stuck in at Manuka Oval, having watched the carnage created by the South Africans in Perth.
“I think the Australia-South Africa series is for me always the most exciting,’’ Cummins said. “I think we play a similar brand of cricket and it’s normally a contest of the fast bowlers.
“I think they bowled fantastic in the last game but our guys bowled well in both games. We were unfortunate not to have enough runs the other night.
“I think with our guys there are probably four or five of us who try to bowl quick, 140km/h and above. We just have to try and maintain that aggression — Âaggression through the middle and start, and then towards the end try to nail some death bowling.’’ In Johnson’s absence, Starc, at 24 and with 25 ODIs to his name, will be the senior fast bowler in the squad, but Cummins backed the youngsters to perform.
“It’s a young squad but we have played quite a bit of cricket together (in Australia A and NSW teams),’’ he said.
“It’s young age-wise but we have had a lot of one-day cricket. Those guys have been playing state and Australian cricket for five or six years so we won’t be too inexperienced.’’
Cummins made an exceptional debut for Australia in South Africa in late 2011 but with his chequered history due to injury has yet to play an ODI on home soil.
He said he was excited to have the opportunity to press for a place in Australia’s World Cup team for next year. He expected his performance over the next three games would be crucial in determining whether he is part of that team.
“These one-dayers are the last games before the (triangular) series before the World Cup which will be a pretty settled side (Australia captain Michael Clarke has said he wants the team finalised by then),’’ Cummins said.
“I think we have five or six bowlers in the squad and we will all be fighting for the last couple of positions in the (World Cup) team.’’
He is confident his body will now hold up to the rigours of international cricket. He said he had been back bowling “pretty much unrestricted for the last year and had no problems (with his lower back)’’.
“Fortunately I can concentrate now on how I’m bowling and form rather than having to think about niggles and how my body is,†Cummins said.
“Every game it’s pulled up perfectly. I’ve got a little bit stronger and matured and got a lot of bowling done in the last couple of years.
“I just haven’t played many competitive games so in a way it’s been nice not to have the limelight and the pressure on my bowling. But I’ve been itching the whole time to get back playing.’’
All-rounder James Faulkner has also been included in the 15-man squad as Mitch Marsh will return to Shield cricket after tomorrow’s match to prepare for the Test series.
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