Cummins injury raises awkward captain question

1 year ago 102

Australian skipper Pat Cummins volition await results of scans connected an injured quadriceps earlier deciding whether helium tin enactment up successful the adjacent Test match.

Cummins pulled up lame connected time 4 astatine Perth Stadium, and helium did not vessel a azygous implicit connected Sunday arsenic the Aussies clinched a 164-run triumph implicit the West Indies.

Travis Head became the improbable prima with 2 wickets, but it was his chap off-spinner Nathan Lyon who took 6-128 to rotation the visitors with a league and a fractional remaining.

Roston Chase (55) and Alzarri Joseph (43) provided immoderate lower-order absorption but it was yet futile.

"It's a large mode to start," Lyon said afterwards of the Test summer.

"We are playing Test cricket and these guys are immoderate of the champion players successful the world, truthful we expect a pugnacious combat each clip we play for Australia.

"It's astir america doing our worldly and doing it well."

While it was a convincing triumph for the Aussies, they volition beryllium sweating connected quality of Cummins' injury.

The adjacent lucifer begins successful Adelaide connected Thursday, and the skipper admits helium whitethorn not marque it to the anthem.

He took the tract connected Sunday successful Perth but opted not to vessel a azygous over.

"If (the game) got a small spot tighter I was going to person a bowl, but luckily it didn't get that close," Cummins said.

Sharp Smith drawback rewards Lyon

"(The injury) feels fine, conscionable trying to beryllium a spot protective.

"I anticipation (I'll beryllium playing successful Adelaide)... tests implicit the adjacent mates of days and fingers crossed."

If Cummins does miss retired it raises an absorbing captaincy question.

Steve Smith is his vice-captain and the evident replacement.

But erstwhile Cummins sat retired a one-day planetary against England past month, it was strangely Josh Hazlewood who got the motion arsenic skipper.

Hazlewood had ne'er captained the nationalist squad before, and is not a vice-captain, truthful his daze game-day assignment raised plentifulness of questions astir the enactment process.

For Lyon, helium is prepared to vessel much overs successful Adelaide - the crushed helium was formerly a greenskeeper astatine - if Cummins isn't acceptable to instrumentality part.

"It's each astir looking retired for each other, truthful erstwhile 1 goes down the others person to basal up and instrumentality that small spot of workload," Lyon said.

"I'm much than blessed to bash that."

Scott Boland is the reserve accelerated bowler successful the Test squad and could get a accidental with the pinkish shot successful Adelaide if Cummins is unfit.

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