Australia pacer Pat Cummins was deemed fit to play the fourth Border-Gavaskar Test against India at Dharamsala on Thursday, Cricket.com.au reported on Thursday.
Cummins had scans taken of his spine at the end of the third Test in Delhi, during Australia’s stopover en route to Himachal Pradesh. It was a part of a cautious treatment after suffering a series of stress fractures over the years to back and legs.
The 23-year-old completed an impressive return in the third Test in Ranchi, picking up four wickets in what was his first first-class match in more than six years.
Another Australia pacer, Josh Hazlewood, sung Cummins’ praises, and thought that India would be wary enough to not prepare a lively wicket, “I think the way they saw Pat Cummins bowl the other day, they don’t really want it any faster than Ranchi. I think everyone was taken back by the way he bowled, and to get that lift and pace off the wicket like that”
“He’s a pretty special player and to bring that extra pace is what you need sometimes on these wickets to get those breakthroughs. Hopefully he can stay on the park and keep playing,” Hazlewood said.
Jackson Bird is widely tipped to play the final Test as Australia plan to unleash a three-pronged pace attack on the hosts. The hero of the Pune Test Steve O’Keefe is expected to make way for Bird.