There Is A Bit Of Dale Steyn In Pat Cummins - Ricky Ponting

Though it was Josh Hazlewood, who got wickets in his kitty, Pat Cummins equally deserve the respect from all the Australian players and the staff for his incredible display of fast bowling. When conditions were purely in control of batsman, Pat Cummins delivered a peach of deliveries to make things fall in place. Meanwhile, Ricky Ponting watched a bit of Dale Steyn in the fast bowler.

Rory Burns and Joe Root frustrated the tourist with a third-wicket stand of 141 at Old Trafford after Hazlewood removed nightwatchman Craig Overtonin the second over of the day. Australia was eager to make up for a lost time, with no play possible before lunch due to rain in Manchester, but Burns and Root dug in on a slow, dry pitch.

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Hazlewood did the damage after tea, removing Burns (81), Root (71) and Jason Roy (22) to leave England with work to do on 200-5 in reply to 497-8 declared. Cummins was outstanding, particularly in a relentless, hostile 10-over spell at the Brian Statham End.

Pat Cummins always maintained pressure – Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting hailed the spell of Pat Cummins to Joe Root when the wind is not at all in control of the bowler. He believes that Pat always got that enthusiasm to deliver for the team without fail.

“I think he bowled 7 overs straight after Tea and I think that was as good fast bowling as you’ll ever see. There is very little in the pitch and it was an old ball as well. He was bowling into the cross-breeze but still got the ball to swing away against the breeze. You know Joe Root is one of the best players in the world and Cummins had him on a toast there for 6-7 overs. He built all sorts of pressure on a good batting pitch,” Ponting told cricket.com.au after the end of play on Day 3.

No way to hide:

Then he matched Pat Cummins to Dale Steyn. He quoted that both the fast bowlers will always keep the batsman on their toes when they ran with the ball. Though there is a bit of difference in the height, Ricky Ponting believes both the players got incredible ability to knock the batsman down.

“That’s a good question. There’s a little bit of Dale Steyn in him actually the way that he bowls. You just know that that effort is always going to be there. Similar sort of action and he can get the ball to shape away. Obviously, he (Cummins) is a bit taller and gets a bit more bounce than Steyn but you just know that they are at you the whole time. There is nowhere to hide. When you’re on strike to guys like that, you know you’ve to be at your absolute best and your sharpest or they will knock you over,” Ponting said.

As Ricky Ponting said, Pat Cummins has always been a special performer for Australia across the formats. He always gives his best to the side whenever they lock horns in longer version of the game.

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