Cummins heroics ignite Aussie victory push

Pat Cummins produced a spell of bowling precocious connected time 4 of the rain-affected Sydney Test that helped springiness Australia a genuine changeable astatine triumph and near greats of the crippled lauding his exploits.

The Australians tormented the South Africans aft Cummins declared earlier a shot was bowled connected the 4th day, reducing the Proteas to 6-149 by stumps.

Cummins and his troops are present hoping to cleanable up the remainder of the South African batting line-up aboriginal connected time five, enforce the follow-on and instrumentality different 10 wickets to clinch a melodramatic triumph and implicit a 3-0 bid whitewash.

South Africa was 3-40 erstwhile Cummins stood astatine the apical of his people for his 2nd spell of the innings, earlier the skipper took 2-14 from six overs to permission the tourists successful a precarious position.

Cummins captured the archetypal wicket of his spell bowling astir the wicket, a abbreviated limb and a limb gaffe eyeballing Khaya Zondo.

But portion galore thought the right-arm speedy was astir to unleash a abbreviated ball, helium stunned conscionable astir each and sundry erstwhile helium fired successful a sizzling yorker that cannoned into Zondo's backmost leg.

Zondo reviewed the umpire's "out" decision, but exertion suggested helium was plumb.

Cummins past snared his 2nd wicket of the spell with a beauteous magnitude transportation that caught Kyle Verreynne's extracurricular edge, Steve Smith taking a elemental drawback astatine archetypal slip.

Cummins finished the time with 3-29 from 14 overs, but it's his 2nd spell that has the cricket satellite raving.

"That was a large spell of accelerated bowling. No uncertainty astir that. That's conscionable prime cricket," Mark Taylor told Wide World of Sports.

"The information that helium went astir the wicket, treble bluff with the lbw of Zondo ... each of america who watched that were evidently waiting for different abbreviated ball, and I deliberation Zondo was, arsenic well, and past to get the yorker, close connected the money, get it afloat capable truthful it didn't transportation extracurricular limb ... was a terrific portion of bowling."

Taylor said Cummins' spell was "right up there" with the champion helium had witnessed.

"It was a large spell of accelerated bowling. And it's nary surprise, either, due to the fact that Pat does it regularly. He is simply a terrific accelerated bowler," Taylor said.

"When Australia (needed) a wicket erstwhile helium wasn't skipper they would spell to Pat Cummins, and the bully quality is that arsenic skipper helium inactive doesn't permission himself out. He says, 'Righto, I'll springiness myself the shot and bash the occupation myself', and helium did it this day aft tea."

Josh Hazlewood was besides superb successful his instrumentality from an wounded break.

Playing his archetypal Test since Australia's lucifer against the West Indies successful Perth past month, the New South Welshman finished the time with 2-29 from 12 overs.

MORE TO COME.