"Perhaps it's more notable just how natural, how inevitable, it felt that Cummins was indeed bowling at his best in his first match back after a nascent stress fracture cost him the first two Tests of this Ashes series and any match preparation before that. England observers will spend four years until their team's next visit pondering explanations for this year's poor showing, inevitably including much examination of the lack of chances for their bowlers to adjust to Australian conditions."
"Cummins spent five months in the gym and the nets without once seeing the middle of a ground, latterly powering through what might have been a few months of rehab in the space of a few weeks, then hit the pitch for a Test match like he'd never been away. His advantage over foreign equivalents is having Australian conditions in his bones. In terms of chemical composition that's probably literal."
Pat Cummins returned from a stress fracture and immediately bowled at top form in the Adelaide Test. He spent five months training without match play, compressing rehabilitation into a few weeks before rejoining the side. Cummins' familiarity with Australian conditions gave him a decisive advantage on the gentle Adelaide Oval surface. He opened the bowling, claimed two early strikes to derail England's pursuit of 435, and later took a third wicket as England briefly regrouped. Cummins excels on flat wickets, breaking partnerships and delivering precision pace when contests become difficult. His presence changed the contest on day four.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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