Australia captain Pat Cummins said that he was delighted with his team crossing the 200-run lead in the second innings of the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa. Australia finished Day 2 at 144/8, leading by 218 runs at the end of the day’s play.
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00:00Pat, can we just start with the match situation, 280 and ahead on a pitch that things are moving quickly.
00:06How do you feel you're placed?
00:08Yeah, it's, you know, ideally probably, you know, have a few more wickets in the shed.
00:13But, you know, I think the trend of the game is the, you know, the runs are coming down.
00:17It's still pretty difficult out there.
00:18So, yeah, I think it's set up pretty well for, you know, a day three finish, you'd imagine, tomorrow.
00:26But, yeah, I think we're going to have to bowl well still in the fourth innings.
00:30Pat, 300 test wickets and you joined seven other Australians to do that.
00:39What does that mean to reach that milestone?
00:43It's really cool.
00:44Yeah, knowing there's not too many on that list.
00:46I think as a fast bowler as well, you know, 300's something I always kind of thought about as, you know, pretty good sign of kind of durability and, you know, resilience.
00:57And, you know, longevity.
01:00So, yeah, I feel pretty proud to join that group.
01:02Just on the 300, did you think when you started out, if I get the 300, I'll be, like, near the end?
01:14I mean, it seems like there's quite a few years yet to go for you.
01:18Well, thanks, Dan.
01:19Appreciate that.
01:19Yeah, I think so.
01:23You know, I've had a really good run the last, you know, half a dozen years or so of not missing too many games.
01:27You know, for the first few years, I didn't know where my second test match was coming.
01:33So, yeah, I still feel like I've got, you know, lots of miles in the legs.
01:35I remember, you know, Gaz's up past 500.
01:39It felt like, yeah, back in the day, you know, 300 felt like you're close to the end.
01:42Stark is still, what, he's almost 400.
01:43So, yeah, hopefully I don't feel like I'm going to end any time soon.
01:48But, you know, again, I think, you know, the medical staff, I really need to thank, you know,
01:53the way they looked after me in the early years and continually to get through a test match.
01:58You know, the way they managed to fast bowlers, I think, you know, a lot of that is a nod to them as well.
02:03Can you just talk us through the Bedingham panel, the ball situation?
02:07Did you withdraw the appeal?
02:09Yeah, well, the umpires said it was dead ball first of all.
02:12But, yeah, I think we probably would have withdrawn, yeah.
02:17Hi, Pat.
02:19So, two best test teams in the world and people are struggling to score runs.
02:24The wicket doesn't look devilish.
02:27So, can you explain what's going on?
02:30I think it's, you know, a mixture of, you know, the wicket's still doing a little bit.
02:35Like, it feels like just when it's not doing anything, one ball will suddenly seem quite drastically.
02:40But I think both teams have bowled really well, really disciplined, you know, haven't been too many half-volleyes.
02:45Both teams are kind of just hanging in that good length area, pretty tight line.
02:49And so, I think it's, you know, the fast bowling, you know, South Africa today, again, where they look pretty tricky.
02:57And the wicket's got enough in it to make it even more tricky.
03:00And it's been really exciting.
03:02The crowd was really into it today as the wickets were falling.
03:05But it looks like it's going to be a three-day finish.
03:08Do you think that it is, so far, lived up to its billing as the pinnacle of test cricket?
03:16I mean, you know, going to day two, I think it's, you know, pretty close to 50-50.
03:21I think that's a pretty good test match.
03:22I think that's a beauty.
03:23You know, you get all test matches look a little bit differently.
03:26But I think whenever there's a pretty good balance between bat and ball, I think it's always a pretty good match.
03:32And I think this game, you know, some guys have got themselves in and look pretty comfortable out there.
03:36And obviously, a lot of other guys haven't.
03:38So, I think it's been a pretty good balance.
03:42Pat, going into the test, you said, you know, you were hoping that Minas would kind of show a fair bit of intent and be positive out there.
03:50You know, what did you make of his performance?
03:51And, you know, where, I guess, where does it leave him, do you think, with his place in the team?
03:57Yeah, I mean, I think, first of all, you know, middle of a test match.
03:59So, we'll work that out, you know, later on.
04:02But I thought he looked sharp both innings.
04:05Again, you know, some really good bowling.
04:08He batted some tough overs.
04:10You know, I think he looked busy and looked like he had a really good plan.
04:13So, yeah, I thought he batted well both innings.
04:17You know, no doubt he would have liked to go on.
04:19But he got himself in, faced quite a few balls and looked in command of his skills out there.
04:24But, yeah, unfortunately, kind of both innings found a way to nick it.
04:29Pat, before you went out to bat, did you have a score in mind?
04:33And where would you put that now that you'd be happy with?
04:38Not really.
04:39Like, you know, I think initially probably when I walked out, you know, anything over 200.
04:43So, good to get over that.
04:45But you just want to get as many runs as you can.
04:49Yeah, so, you know, happy that we've got 200.
04:52You know, hopefully we get another 20 or 30 in the morning.
04:54That'd be good.
04:55I think that would give us, you know, a few more options to bowl.
04:59You know, a few more aggressive fields and those kind of things.
05:02So, I think, yeah, see how we go.
05:04But happy to have it over 200.
05:06And you started throwing your hands at KG.
05:09Do you think that's sort of the way to go on a deck and against attack that, you know,
05:12every ball kind of feels like it could be a wicket?
05:15I mean, I did for me when I was batting.
05:17I think everyone else would kind of work out their own method.
05:21But, yeah, it didn't work for me.
05:22Kind of missed half while in the league start, unfortunately.
05:24Very much so.
05:31Just the pace at which this game has gone bad.
05:34Like, do you think just the Alex Carey-Mitchell Stark partnership
05:37sort of switched, like, a momentum towards you guys?
05:40And did you feel a little...
05:41I saw more people appear on the balcony all of a sudden during that partnership.
05:44Was that the mood?
05:45Like, because the wickets had fallen so quickly until that point.
05:49Yeah, I think, you know, the mood in the change room was pretty positive towards the end there.
05:53It was a great partnership, 50-odd.
05:56So, yeah, with each run, it's, you know, it was almost like a run chase.
05:59You're like, okay, that's good.
05:59You know, four runs, getting pretty loud claps, especially from Marnus.
06:03He's always pretty noisy.
06:05But, yeah, no, it was, I think, a pretty good way to end the day.
06:10Particularly on Carey, Pat.
06:12He seems to either come in when there's big scores on the board
06:14and have to accelerate the game or in a tricky situation like that.
06:17How valuable is he to the team, particularly in the tricky situations?
06:21Oh, it seems like number six and seven's, you know, always the trickiest place to bat.
06:26You know, and five.
06:27You know, I think Trap Head's done over the years.
06:29Bo's played some crucial knocks lately and Kez has been brilliant.
06:33Yeah, it's, you know, he's dragged us out of that.
06:35He bats brilliantly with the tail as well, kind of leading that partnership.
06:40So, again, another valuable partnership when, you know,
06:43puts the pressure back on the opposition when it seems like, you know, they're on top.
06:47So, yeah, no, he was brilliant today.
06:51Thanks, everyone.
06:52We'll see you tomorrow.