Ashes 2019: Mitchell Johnson wants Pat Cummins to be rested for the Leeds Test

The third Ashes Test between England and Australia is scheduled to get underway on August 22 at the Headingley in Leeds. Following their 251-run win at the Edgbaston, the Aussies decided to bench James Pattinson to manage his workload and brought in Josh Hazlewood, who got three wickets in the first innings. Prior to the third game, Mitchell Johnson wants Pat Cummins to be rested.

Cummins notched three wickets in England’s innings, removing opener Rory Burns, Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer. Johnson felt that the pacer has used the bouncer on a number of instances, something which isn’t normal with the speedster. Johnson reckons that the bumpers would’ve taken a lot out of Cummins and he also was wayward later on in his spell owing to tiredness.

You’ve got to mean to bowl a bouncer

“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. 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,” Johnson was quoted as saying in cricket.com.au.

“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. You’ve got to mean to bowl a bouncer. If you just put it there it will get smacked,” Johnson stated.

Cummins has had his fair share of injuries after making his Test debut as an 18-year-old against South Africa. He developed repeated stress fractures in his lower back and had to wait six years to make his comeback in the longer format. As per Johnson, the chances of Cummins getting injured increases due to the additional efforts he has to put in his bowling action.

“Cummins started to get a bit wayward at the back end of his spell because he would have been tired. 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,” he added.

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