Ashes 2019 | Have a feeling Australia will rest Pat Cummins after Lord's Test, says Mitchell Johnson
Former Australia pacer Mitchell Johnson feels that Australia will be left with no option but to rest Pat Cummins for the next Test after his grueling spell at Lord's. Cummins bowled a total of 21 overs in the first innings, relentlessly tormenting the English batsmen with endless bouncers.
Just two Tests into the Ashes, the Australian team management have made it clear that managing the workload of their fast bowlers will be prioritized over anything else, indicated by the resting of James Pattinson for the Lord's Test. However, being the number one Test bowler in the world, the situation might not be the same for Cummins, who is almost obliged to play all matches for his country to stand a chance to win the series.
But Mitchell Johnson, who famously tore apart the English batsmen in the 2013/14 Ashes has come forward and suggested that the Aussies might need to rest Cummins post the second Test, seeing the kind of effort he has been putting in while bowling.
"I've got a feeling they will rest him after the way he bowled in this Test. I found that strange because he hasn't bowled like that for a long time, a lot of bouncers," Johnson told cricket.com.au.
"We know he can bowl fast and aggressive but he's gone the other way – he's gone a bit more within himself and still hits the deck hard, bowls above 140kph. He's been consistent with a good stock ball and an occasional bouncer, but he went bloody hard and it would have taken it out of him," he added.
The former Aussie pacer also added that such intense spells increase the risk of an injury, and pointed towards the likes of Pattinson and Mitchell Starc who are waiting in the sheds as like-for-like back-ups in case there arises a need to rest the 26-year-old.
"But what it also does is increases the risk of injury because he's got to load up higher, twist a little bit more and put more into every ball," Johnson said.
"You could rest Cummins next game because you've got Hazlewood bowling well, with maybe Pattinson or Starc coming in depending on how aggressive they want to go," he added.
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