In a poignant turn of events, David Warner is poised for an emotional farewell to Test cricket in his hometown of Sydney. The seasoned opening batsman secures his spot in an unaltered Australian lineup for the impending third and final Test against Pakistan next week.

Back in June, Warner had expressed his desire to conclude his illustrious 12-year Test career at the Sydney Cricket Ground. With Australia already clinching an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, the 37-year-old’s wish is set to materialize.

George Bailey, the chief selector, confirmed the decision, stating:

“The National Selection Panel have retained the same squad from Melbourne to Sydney as we look to clean sweep the Test series. We look forward to celebrating David Warner’s final Test match and his incredible career at his home ground.”

Warner, a native of Sydney, entered the current series amid uncertainties regarding his form due to a lack of Test runs. However, his commanding 164-run performance in the first innings of the opening Test in Perth swiftly dispelled any doubts about his position in the team.

Australia secured a resounding victory in that Test, winning by 360 runs. In the subsequent Test in Melbourne, captain Pat Cummins delivered a match-winning performance, claiming 10 wickets as Australia triumphed by 79 runs in four days.

The triumph marked Australia’s fourth consecutive series win at home, with an impressive record of 10 wins out of 12 Tests since Cummins assumed captaincy ahead of the 2021-22 Ashes series.

As the focus shifts to Sydney, Pakistan will be vying for their first Test win in Australia in nearly three decades.

Australia Squad:

– Pat Cummins (captain)

– Scott Boland

– Alex Carey

– Cameron Green

– Josh Hazlewood

– Travis Head

– Usman Khawaja

– Marnus Labuschagne

– Nathan Lyon

– Mitchell Marsh

– Steve Smith

– Mitchell Starc

– David Warner

Australia asserted control in the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon putting Pakistan on the back foot at 194-6 on day two, still trailing by 124 runs.

At stumps, Mohammad Rizwan held firm at 29, while Aamer Jamal remained unbeaten at two. Cummins claimed key wickets, dismissing Abdullah Shafique (62), Babar Azam (one) and Agha Salman (five). Lyon also made an impact by removing Imam-ul-Haq (10) and Shan Masood (54), while Josh Hazlewood contributed by bowling Saud Shakeel for nine.

Reflecting on the day, Captain Cummins expressed satisfaction, stating,

“It feels like we’re well into their order now.”

He praised Australia’s batting performance, reaching 300 after a challenging start. The hosts had claimed seven wickets in the morning session, restricting Pakistan to 318.

Aamer Jamal led Pakistan’s bowling attack with 3-64 as Australia resumed on 187-3. Despite an optimistic start by openers Haq and Shafique, Lyon’s spin broke through, with Haq edging to Labuschagne at slip. Shafique and Masood built a partnership, but Cummins’ sharp catch and Lyon’s spin disrupted their momentum.

Marnus Labuschagne, the top-scorer with 63, continued his resilience from day one. He brought up his 17th Test half-century and anchored the innings. Travis Head showcased aggression but fell on 17. Despite the challenges, Labuschagne’s wicket eventually fell to Jamal.

Pakistan capitalized on the new ball, dismissing Carey, Starc and Marsh. A fiery over by Hasan Ali saw multiple appeals, but Marsh survived after reviewing two decisions. However, Jamal’s persistence paid off as he claimed Marsh’s wicket and the tail quickly followed.

Australia, having won the first Test by 360 runs in Perth, aim to maintain their dominance in the series. As Pakistan faces a challenging position, the third day promises crucial moments in the battle between bat and ball.

Australia’s skipper, Pat Cummins, is gearing up for IPL 2024, aiming to use it as a springboard into T20 mode before the joint hosting of next year’s World Cup by the USA and the West Indies in June. Opting out of IPL 2023 due to a hefty international schedule, Cummins clinched the second-highest paycheck at the recent Dubai auction—Rs 20.50 crore with Sunrisers Hyderabad. In a record-breaking deal, his teammate, Mitchell Starc, secured a staggering Rs 24.75 crore with the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Speaking candidly, Cummins shared with cricket.com.au,

“I feel like I haven’t played a lot of T20 cricket, and in some ways, I haven’t displayed my best T20 cricket for a while.”

Expressing genuine excitement, Cummins said,

“I’m really pumped for next year to get some games before the World Cup, aiming not just to secure a spot but to rediscover my T20 bowling form.”

Recalling his impactful stint with KKR in 2022, where he hammered the fastest men’s T20 half-century by an Australian in just 14 balls, Cummins is eager to contribute to Sunrisers Hyderabad.

In a video on Sunrisers’ Instagram page, Cummins exclaimed,

“I’m pumped to be joining SRH for the upcoming IPL season. I’ve heard so much about the Orange Army, played in Hyderabad a few times, always loved it, so can’t wait to get started.”

Teaming up with fellow Aussie and World Cup final hero Travis Head at SRH, Cummins added:

“It’s great to see another Aussie at Trav Head over there. I think we’re going to have a lot of fun this season and, hopefully, plenty of success.”

In a dazzling turn of events at the IPL 2024 auction in Dubai, Pat Cummins, the triumphant captain of Australia’s World Cup cricket team, etched his name on history by shattering the record for the highest-priced player in IPL history. Sunrisers Hyderabad emerged victorious in a fierce bidding battle with Royal Challengers Bangalore, securing Cummins’ talent for a staggering Rs 20.50 crore on Tuesday.

Starting with a modest base price of Rs 2 crore, Cummins found himself at the epicenter of an intense bidding war, primarily contested between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Sunrisers franchise. The dynamic all-rounder made history by becoming the first player in IPL history to score more than 20 crores in a single instant.

Surpassing the previous record set by England’s Sam Curran, who fetched Rs 18.50 crore in the 2023 auction, the 30-year-old not only claimed the title of the most expensive overseas player but also cemented his status as the costliest player ever in IPL history.

After leading Australia to a record sixth World Cup victory against India in November at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, Cummins is accustomed to having his skills in high demand. At the IPL 2020 auction, he was roped in by the Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 15.5 crore.

In the realm of the IPL, Cummins boasts a career spanning 42 matches, during which he has taken 45 wickets.His worth goes beyond bowling, as he has demonstrated his ability to bat at a lower position by compiling 379 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 152.21.

The Sunrisers, grappling with a lack of stable captaincy in recent years, may find in Cummins not just a bowler who can bat but a leader capable of shouldering the responsibilities of the team’s captaincy.

Rajasthan Royals’ spinner Ravichandran Ashwin thinks that teams might compete fiercely to sign Australian pacers Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc in the IPL 2024 auction. Ashwin also pointed out that the teams could face challenges if Cummins and Starc decide not to participate due to their commitments to The Ashes and the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Ashwin said:

“Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins are the only two fresh guys. Though there are guys like Rachin Ravindra, Gerald Coetzee, and a few other names, it looks pretty sure that these are the two names everybody wants to acquire. The Ashes is going to come, as is the T20 World Cup, and there is a heavy chance that Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc are going to pull out of the tournament, and it is there in their histories.”

Travis Head, the hero of Australia’s World Cup, will be available for bidding at the auction. He was named Player of the Match in both the semi-final and final.

Even though the batting all-rounder is in great form, Ashwin thinks he might not get a big offer.

He said, “I don’t expect a high bid. If I’m wrong, it would surprise me.”

Head played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2017 but hasn’t been in the IPL since. He didn’t find a buyer at the IPL 2023 auction.

Mumbai Indians Likely to Pursue Gerald Coetzee if Unable to Secure Other Players in IPL 2024 Auction
Ashwin thinks Mumbai Indians might sign South African pacer Gerald Coetzee in the upcoming mini-auction, possibly before Mitchell Starc. He added:

“Gerald Coetzee is a very Mumbai Indians player. That blue jersey with gold on him, bowling at the Wankhede Stadium, bustling in—he looks like an MI sort of a player. If they don’t get anybody, I think they are going for him. In my view, they might not even go for Mitchell Starc.”

Coetzee performed exceptionally well in the 2023 World Cup in India, taking 20 wickets in eight matches and becoming South Africa’s top wicket-taker.

It’s been over a week since India’s heart-wrenching loss to Australia in the 2023 Cricket World Cup final, and the wounds are still fresh for fans of the Rohit Sharma-led team. Despite an undefeated run into the final, winning 10 consecutive matches, India faced a devastating defeat as Pat Cummins’ Australia secured a 6-wicket victory, claiming their sixth ODI World Cup title.

In a recent interview with The Age, Australian skipper Pat Cummins was asked to choose his ‘deathbed moment’ from the final. Without hesitation, he pointed to the crucial wicket of Virat Kohli. Cummins explained the profound impact of that moment, recalling the eerie silence in the stadium after Kohli’s dismissal.

Batting first, India seemed in control at 148/3 with Kohli and KL Rahul holding strong. However, Cummins’ delivery saw Kohli’s inside edge, leading to a dramatic turn of events. The subsequent huddle, as described by Cummins, captured the gravity of the moment.

Despite India’s competitive total of 240, Travis Head’s masterful innings of 137 guided Australia to a convincing six-wicket victory in Ahmedabad. The left-handed opener’s controlled performance secured Australia’s sixth World Cup title with seven overs to spare, leaving Indian fans grappling with the agony of a missed opportunity.

The echoes of that final will resonate for a long time among cricket enthusiasts, and the Virat Kohli wicket will forever hold a special place in the memory of Pat Cummins and cricket fans alike.

Australia’s skipper, Pat Cummins, showered accolades on the team, emphasizing their enduring excitement following their historic sixth ODI World Cup triumph. In a year marked by extensive time away from home since February, the Australian team enjoyed a string of successes, clinching victories against India in the World Test Championship final at the Oval and retaining the Ashes series.

Despite a momentary setback in the World Cup campaign with losses in the initial two games after the South Africa tour, the team rallied and lifted the cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Upon their arrival at Sydney Airport, an exuberant Cummins expressed,

“Every half an hour or so, you kind of remember that you just won a World Cup and get excited all over again. We’re still buzzing. It’s been a big year. To top it off with this, it’s been amazing. I think they have created their own legacy.”

Reflecting on the team’s achievements in a year packed with challenges, Cummins remarked,

“A World Cup, you only get one chance every four years, and especially playing somewhere like India, it’s hard. Adding to that an away Ashes series, a World Test Championship. We couldn’t have planned for much better. So a pretty satisfying group.”

Cummins’ captaincy skills were lauded by Suresh Raina, the 2011 World Cup winner, who praised the strategic moves that tilted the game in Australia’s favour.

“What swung the game in Australia’s favour was Pat Cummins’ captaincy,” Raina noted in his ICC column.

In a symbolic celebration of their remarkable victory, Cummins posed with the ICC trophy on a Sabarmati river cruise boat in Ahmedabad, capturing not only the essence of triumph but also the serene yet vibrant atmosphere surrounding the team’s achievement.