Australia have faith in Pat Cummins’ destructive bowling

England swing king James Anderson might loom large for the upcoming Ashes series, but Australia believe they’re headed to the Old Dart armed with the best fast bowler in world cricket.

• Player ratings: Australia’s biggest find of the summer
• Match report: Starc stars as Aussies sweep series

Australia believe they’re headed to England armed with the best fast bowler in world cricket.

England swing king James Anderson might loom large over Australia’s batsmen, but with Pat Cummins locked and loaded, the rebuilt unit are confident of fighting fire with fire.

Cummins absolutely decimated Sri Lanka with 14 wickets in two Tests at a staggering average of just 7 runs per scalp.

The right-arm destroyer also showed his class in a losing team against India when the wickets were less conducive for fast bowling.

As Australia prepares for Anderson with the Duke’s ball, they take the lessons learned from South African firebrand Kagiso Rabada and Indian ace Jasprit Bumrah over the past 12 months.

Cummins’ performance against Sri Lanka was an Ashes warning. (Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP)

Captain Tim Paine believes Cummins can trump them all.

“He’s got to be pretty close to it, isn’t he?,” said Paine.

“The difference with Pat and those guys is he doesn’t take the new ball — so he bowls at times when the ball’s not doing as much and the wicket’s a bit flatter.

“I think his ability to get it done in all conditions — whether it’s moving around or not — is second to none.

“I felt as the summer went on he got better and better the more he bowled it felt like the quicker and more accurate he was bowling.

“He’s just about the fastest Australian bowler to 90 wickets and that probably says he’s right up there.”

Australia can head to England with belief in their attack. (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

For most of the summer, questions were being asked about whether Mitchell Starc had lost his mojo.

Test greats Michael Vaughan and Shane Warne have openly declared he cannot play the first Test of the Ashes where conditions will suit accurate seam options like Jhye Richardson.

Paine says Starc’s blazing 10-wicket haul was a crucial breakthrough for the mentality of the Australian team.

Alongside Cummins, their other chief strikeweapon is back.

“When anyone is struggling in sport and cricket in particular, a lot of it is in your own head,” said Paine.

“At times we have got to find ways to get out of our own head and Starcy was probably a pretty good example of that.

“I’m proud of the way our boys rallied around Starcy and even when he wasn’t at his best kept reminding him of how important he is to our team and how we think he is one of the best bowlers in the world.

“Eventually, I think we got through to him and I think he bowled superbly this game.”

Every Test, ODI, T20I, and BBL match live & ad-break free during play. SIGN UP NOW!

Originally published as Australia have faith in Pat Cummins’ destructive bowling