Australia’s Test and ODI captain, Pat Cummins, has resumed bowling in rehab after nursing his ankle injury which flared up due to the workload during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) a few weeks ago. The ankle injury ruled him out of the ongoing Champions Trophy too, but Cummins seems hopeful for a return in the Indian Premier League (IPL) next month.
The Australian fast bowler also missed his team’s tour of Sri Lanka after the conclusion of the BGT. This was mainly due to the birth of his child, although he was also dealing with the same injury at that time. Cummins confirmed that his ankle feels better, which is why his return to national and IPL duty won’t have to wait.
“The ankle is all going strong, [have been] able to give it a good rest and then been building up slowly, which you don’t get to do when you play lots of cricket. It’s feeling as strong as it has for a fair while. Should be fine [for the IPL], that’s the plan. So have a few weeks of bowling, building back up and then hopefully don’t have to worry about it for a while.”
The issue with his ankle is not new. It’s a persistent concern that flares up occasionally, as it did during the Boxing Day Test. Cummins, however, downplayed its seriousness by ruling out the need for surgery.
“It’s something that we’ve opted never to have surgery on or intervene too much, just a lot to rehab. Having this break meant that I could get a couple of cortisones and really rehab it well the last couple of weeks.”
Besides Pat Cummins, Australia entered the tournament without several of their regulars, including Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Marsh, and Marcus Stoinis. With all three of their primary fast bowlers omitted, less-experienced pacers were called to fill in. This shifted the team’s dynamic, wherein the batters were expected to take on the more crucial role.
This shift was evident during Australia’s game against England in Lahore. After the bowlers conceded 351 runs, the batters stepped in to save the day. Josh Inglis, along with Alex Carey, was the mastermind behind this chase. Doing so Inglis scored his maiden ODI century, just a couple of weeks after smashing his first Test ton.
“He’s been on almost every Australian tour for about the last four years running drinks,” Cummins said. “So we’ve always known his quality and scoring two hundreds in different formats in the last month is amazing,” Cummins said. “He’s so dynamic. You can bat him anywhere in the order. He can take down spin. He can also finish off an inning with all his different shots. Just someone who’s coming into a real sweet spot in his career.”
Pat Cummins has a busy schedule ahead. Followed by the three-month-long IPL, he has to lead his side in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final in June. Australia are also hosting England for the Ashes later this year. So, managing his workload will be the key. He hinted at skipping some of Australia’s tours this year to ensure he is fit to play the more high-stakes series.
“Sometimes by missing the odd tour, you actually end up playing more cricket for the whole year. I think in the past you used to play everything, whereas now, absolutely, you try and make sure the players are at their peak for as long as you can for the year and to play as much of the important stuff each year. It’s just the way of the world. Everyone’s used to it.”
