Pat Cummins picks his three best middle-order batters in his Test playing XI

Pat Cummins, the Australian fast bowler, has named Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, and Virat Kohli as the three batters he would pick in his best Test playing eleven. The paceman has bowled against all three batsmen, who have ruled the roost as far as Test batting rankings are concerned.

Williamson is currently ICC’s no.1 ranked Test batter and Cummins has dismissed him only twice in ODI cricket. However, the speedster has picked Kohli’s wicket as many as seven times. In the rankings, Kohli is currently placed fifth with 814 rating points.

Pat Cummins makes his picks

“I would probably have Kane Williamson at No.3, Steve Smith at No.4, maybe Kohli at No.5. In any order, but I would have those three,” Cummins was quoted as saying in a Question and Answer session he conducted on his YouTube channel.

The World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand is set to get underway on June 18 at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. Though he didn’t pick a favourite to win the match, Cummins reckoned that the conditions will favour the Black Caps more than Virat Kohli and Co.

“We have seen both teams not having played Test matches for a couple of months. So, it is a one-off. Anything can happen. I will sit on the fence. But if I say anything, the conditions should probably suit New Zealand more than India,” Cummins stated.

Cummins, who has played 34 Test thus far in his career, stated that he enjoyed bowling against the likes of Babar Azam, AB de Villiers, Joe Root, and Williamson.

“These are the best in the world and are the obvious ones as they don’t have any weaknesses. Each team has a couple of batters that are toughest to bowl to, but you want to face those challenges as it is most rewarding,” he added.

As far as Cummins is concerned, he is currently the leading wicket-taker in the WTC. In 14 Tests, the pacer has picked up 70 wickets at an average of 21.02. He also has a five-wicket haul to show for his efforts. He could end up losing his top spot to India’s Ravi Ashwin, who has 67 wickets and is set to play in the final.