Pat Cummins’ demeanor changes significantly when he is about to deliver a bouncer, featuring fiery eyes, flaring nostrils, an angry grimace, and sometimes a protruding tongue, signaling his fierce competitiveness. However, when not delivering bouncers, he maintains absolute composure on the field, with well-groomed hair, a ready smile, and the ability to celebrate hard-earned breakthroughs privately in public view. He often puts his head down, away from the spotlight, and lets out victorious roars while pumping his fist, making it challenging for cameras to capture the intense moment. His true battle face only emerges when he bowls the bouncer.
Even when Glenn Maxwell hit an incredible six to secure an Australian victory against Afghanistan, Cummins humbly acknowledged the feat by raising his bat from the non-striker’s end, congratulating Maxwell rather than celebrating his role in the partnership. He quietly walked over to embrace Maxwell and later joined his teammates with a laugh, conveying their amazement at what they had experienced, often exclaiming ‘wow, wow.’
While Maxwell’s astonishing innings was a once-in-a-lifetime performance, Cummins’ contribution was a lesson in restraint. He didn’t succumb to the savior complex, which a lesser player might have in such a situation, where he would attempt to score boundaries to alleviate the pressure and demonstrate he was taking responsibility. Cummins, however, maintained his composure and even adopted a more defensive approach. Without Cummins’ unbeaten 68-ball 12, Maxwell wouldn’t have achieved victory.
Cummins was level-headed enough to devise a plan in the midst of the chaos, as shared by Maxwell. “We came out with a plan to stay at the same end for a little bit until I could sort of get some movement back. I suppose, for me, it was still trying to be positive.”
For Cummins, being “positively-negative” was his approach. His decision to stick to one end came after Maxwell attempted a risky single despite Cummins’ visual protests, resulting in Maxwell falling to the ground in pain.
In a bizarre and outrageous evening, some sense began to emerge. Maxwell stayed at his end, Cummins remained at his, and as Cummins regained his composure, Maxwell started dismissively waving his hands as the white ball soared into the Mumbai night sky.
It would have been reminiscent of Tony Greig or Bill Lawry enthusiastically providing commentary in the background, with Richie Benaud’s wise voice interjecting with insightful observations about Cummins’ valuable restraint. One can only imagine what Benaud might have said with his distinctive inflection: “Marvellousssh from Pat, sometimesh, to do nothing is the greatesht thing to do.”
Cummins’ batting style is not typically characterized by such restraint, but he can adapt his approach according to the situation. He has the ability to assess the circumstances and stick to a plan without getting drawn into unnecessary risks. As demonstrated during the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston in June, he can implement a common-sense batting strategy to achieve success.
In the face of Afghanistan’s spinners twisting and turning the ball, Cummins remained composed and carefully placed his bat in front of his pad to avoid LBW opportunities, deadbatting their deliveries effectively. He only displayed a hint of vulnerability once, on the last ball of the 38th over, but quickly returned to his disciplined approach. He lifted his bat only at the very end to acknowledge Glenn Maxwell‘s remarkable ODI innings.
#2023 World Cup #Afghanistan Cricket Team #Australia Cricket Team #Glenn Maxwell #ODI World Cup 2023 #Pat Cummins
