Pat on the back for Cummins as Australia win

Melbourne, December 29

Captain Pat Cummins’ second 10-wicket total in Test matches led Australia to a 79-run win over Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the fourth day of their second Test today.

Cummins made all the crucial breakthroughs late in the day as the hosts bowled Pakistan out for 237 to win the Boxing Day Test and extend Pakistan’s losing run in Australian Tests to 16 matches.

252 Test wickets for Cummins, making him the tenth Australian to get to 250 wickets in the format

Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha threatened to push Pakistan towards a win but Cummins ended the 67-run partnership between the pair in bizarre and dramatic fashion just 15 minutes before the scheduled close of play. Australia reviewed a not out call to Rizwan as a Cummins delivery flew into Alex Carey’s gloves. But after a long review from the third umpire, Richard Illingworth deemed the ball flicked Rizwan’s wrist band that was connected to his gloves.

Rizwan was the furious with the decision, with Pakistan 219/5 at the time and starting to believe it could pull off the country’s highest successful chase against Australia.

“I got a little bit twitchy there,” Cummins said. “I felt OK but they were batting nicely. Happy with the Rizwan wicket.”

It was Cummins who claimed the crucial wicket of his opposing captain Shan Masood (60), before tea. Cummins took his fourth of the second innings just minutes later, dismissing Aamer Jamal (0). The wickets earned him the Player of the Match award and made him the 10th Australian to pass 250 Test wickets.

Brief scores: Australia: 318 and 262 (Marsh 96, Carey 53; Hamza 4/32; Afridi 4/76); Pakistan: 264 and 237 (Masood 60, Salman 50; Cummins 5/49, Starc 4/55). — AP