‘Marnus is always in my ear so he had to have an over’ - Pat Cummins on trying eight bowlers against Pakistan

Australia bundled Pakistan for 203 runs in the first ODI at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Ace pacer Mitchell Starc wreaked havoc with the new ball, picking up three wickets while captain Pat Cummins clinched two. Later, spinner Adam Zampa picked up a couple as well. Pakistan batters didn’t look settled and the hosts took advantage of that. So much so, that the skipper tried eight different bowlers in the game.

Josh Hazlewood was rested and Sean Abbott played in his place and picked up a wicket. Aaron Hardie, Matthew Short and Glenn Maxwell bowled as well. Marnus Labuchagne, who’s eager to bowl to Virat Kohli in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, was handed the ball as well and he went on to pick up the wicket of Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan, who departed for 44 runs.

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Reflecting on the bowling changes, Cummins stated that Labuschagne asked him several times about bowling and that he tried so many players as the conditions favoured them and the team had multiple all-rounders as well.

“Really happy with the way the guys bowled, Starcy was terrific at the top and the others bowled really well. Marnus is always in my ear so he had to have an over, he got one wicket. With this being an ODI and with the conditions, got plenty of allrounders, might as well use them,” Cummins said in the post-match presentation.

Cummins also scored 32* runs off 31 deliveries to help Australia win the game by two wickets. The hosts were reduced to 155/7 at one stage and were on the verge of a defeat. However, the captain led by example and batted well, hitting four boundaries to give Australia a 1-0 lead in the series. 

“For three-quarters we were really good, try and find some partnerships, looking to play aggressively and sometimes it may not work, but think still room to try and find a couple of partnerships,” Cummins said after the game.