Australia v West Indies: Nathan Lyon bowls hosts to victory as Pat Cummins concerns grow

Nathan Lyon has bowled Australia to victory in the first Test against West Indies but the win could come at a cost.

A desperate Pat Cummins will put himself at the mercy of a pre-match fitness test in Adelaide, but Nathan Lyon has at least given his captain hope of a miracle recovery.

Finishing the job on day five has not been a strong point for Australia’s bowlers over recent summers, but Lyon rounded up the West Indies with a commanding six-wicket haul in Perth on Sunday, which also served the crucial double purpose of saving the injured Cummins from having to bowl in the 164-run first Test win.

Cummins admits a normal turnaround for a minor thigh strain would be a week, which means after pulling up sore on Friday he has only six days to convince medical staff he is a risk free option to lead Australia into action in Thursday’s second and final Test in Adelaide.

Weighing heavily on the Australian brains trust will be the fact a heavy duty series against South Africa lurks just around the corner, before the Everest challenge of a February Test tour of India and then an Ashes and for that reason Josh Hazlewood (22 overs) and Mitchell Starc (23 overs) may not necessarily be guaranteed starters in Adelaide either.

For leadership and bowling strike, Cummins is Australia’s No.1 commodity and Australia would have to be 100 per cent sure he is not being put at undue risk to play him off a three-day turnaround.

Pat Cummins remains under an injury cloud. Picture: Trevor Collens/AFP

Steve Smith is on standby to captain for a second straight year in Adelaide, Scott Boland is ready to be injected into the bowling attack and Mark Steketee or Michael Neser could be added to the squad for further reinforcement.

But Cummins has declared he is confident he can win the race against time.

“I’ll have a similar prep to Joshy and Starcy which would maybe be a light bowl the day before, but now it might be a bit different. I’ve got to probably prove myself,” said Cummins.

“I’ll have at least one bowl. Every Test match is always slightly different prep. I’m not too bothered. Hopefully I pass the fitness test and I’m good to go.

“It’s just a small strain so it’s normally about a one weeker and if you bowl and make it worse it can make it longer. But I’ll spend the next few days rehabbing getting it right and I think it’s a pretty good chance I’ll be good for Adelaide.

Nathan Lyon (C) took his third second innings five-for. Picture: Colin Murty/AFP

“(But) yeah (the heavy schedule ahead) was definitely the thought process the last couple of days.

“I don’t really want to turn a one week injury into a three or four week injury and you potentially miss the summer.

“So we’ll weigh all that up. As I said, I felt pretty comfortable out there.

“I’ll give it a few days. It already feels pretty good. The physio might be less optimistic but I think I’ll be fine. I’m sure I’ll have running and a bit of bowling to make sure I’m right.”

Cummins admits his role as captain only increased his determination to play, but said his ginger efforts in the field on Sunday was him playing within himself rather than a sign of serious damage.

“I think it’s a balance,” Cummins said of the decision to play or not to play.

Scott Boland could be called into the side. Picture: Will Russell/Getty

“I think it does add a bit of (extra impetus) … I’ve got five Tests and I want to make sure I’m available for all five. It’s always like that but a lot of the Test matches you leave absolutely nothing left in the tank. But I think it’s maybe me getting a bit older as well (and wanting to take every opportunity).

“I felt OK. It was more not trying to run as opposed to being restricted to run. I felt alright. If it got a bit tighter (in the match) I was going to have a bowl but I’m pretty happy I managed not to bowl to give myself a good chance.”

Lyon became the captain’s best friend with a match-sealing performance in Perth, as Australia eventually suffocated the brave Windies to end their innings for 333.

Without Lyon’s early breakthroughs including the prized wicket of Windies captain and century maker Kraigg Brathwaite, Australia may have had no choice but to gamble on Cummins with the second new ball with seven wickets still to get at the start of the day.

“I think they will rest one of the bowlers in Adelaide. I’d be surprised if Pat Cummins plays,” predicted former Australian Test bowler and Fox Cricket expert, Brendon Julian.

“A thigh injury that’s ginger right now. I’m not sure that’s going to recover and allow you to play a five-day Test match.

“Scott Boland is a worthy replacement.”

Windies pair Alzarri Joseph (43) and Roston Chase (55) put on a partnership that started to frustrate Australia, before part-timer Travis Head broke through with his second wicket of the innings and Lyon finished off the tail to finish with figures of 6-128.

Former selector and Fox expert Mark Waugh said Australia may even have to at least contemplate the prospect of further changes to the attack beyond Cummins, with such a loaded schedule ahead.

Against India two summers ago, Australia tried to push Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc through all four Tests, and ran out of petrol before the end.

“Australia made the mistake of playing the same attack against India. That came back to bite that summer where we didn’t rotate the bowlers enough and couldn’t’ find enough energy late in the last couple of Test matches in Sydney and Brisbane against India,” said Waugh.

Re-live all the day five action below

SERIOUS PAT CUMMINS CONCERNS

As Australia closes in on victory, concerns have been raise as to why injured captain Pat Cummins remains on the field.

Cummins, who hasn’t bowled today after injuring his quad on day four, looked very ginger chasing a drive off Nathan Lyon’s bowling, pulling up gingerly after limping to stop the boundary.

Fox Sports commenter Ian Smith was bemused as to why Cummins is in the field with such a short turnaround to the Adelaide Test.

“Why would he (Cummins) be on the field?” Smith said. “OK, I take the point about being the skipper leading from the front and wanting to be part of the victory.

“When it comes to his main job outside of that (captaincy) it’s his bowling.

“He must have been guaranteed the fact he can’t do anymore damage (to the quad injury) by being out there. Medical staff must have said that because otherwise there’s just not point in being out there at all.”

Celebrity doc NRLphysio posted on twitter that even minor quad strains can keep players out for 1-3 weeks.

“Pat Cummins looking pretty ginger in the field with his quad injury. Described as “tightness”, unlikely to be significant seeing he is on field but even minor strain can be 1-3 weeks back to 100%. Quad strains more common on bowling side, most limiting thru bowling action.”

Pat Cummins looking pretty ginger in the field with his quad injury. Described as “tightness”, unlikely to be significant seeing he is on field but even minor strain can be 1-3 weeks back to 100%. Quad strains more common on bowling side, most limiting thru bowling action #AUSvWIpic.twitter.com/lM3wBts1gJ

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) December 4, 2022

WICKET: PART-TIMER BREAKS PARTNERSHIP!

Travis Head finally breaks the Windies’ stubborn resistance - and what a ball it is!

Thrown the ball before the drinks break, Head shapes the ball into Alzarri Joseph (43), ripping it straight to hit the top of off stump.

That’s the first time Head has taken two wickets in a match on Australian soil.

The ever modest part-time tweaker reckons he got lucky. We reckon luck had nothing to do with it.

“It’s nice,” Head told Fox Commentators during the drinks break. “It’s the first time I’ve bowled this summer so it’s nice to contribute.

“(The delivery) had about six revs on it, dead straight, so got lucky.”

WICKET: HAZLEWOOD STRIKES WITH SECOND NEW BALL

Three to go!

This time it is Josh Hazlewood who gets in on the act, using the new ball to perfection to remove Joshua Da Silva.

A good length ball, Da Silva just jabbed at it and that was enough to catch the edge.

Usman Khawaja then made no mistake at second slip.

That is the first wicket from a quick today after spin dominated the opening hour.

In even better news for the Aussies, it looks like Pat Cummins won’t be needed to bowl.

WICKET: SMITH STUNNER HANDS AUSSIES ANOTHER WICKET

What. A. Catch!

And what a bowling change from Pat Cummins. He has thrown the ball to Travis Head and the middle order blaster has got him a wicket.

But it’s Steve Smith who should be getting all the love.

He picked up the edge instantly and dived to his left at first slip, holding onto a beauty.

The Aussies are right into the lower order now. Could they get this done this session?

WICKET: LYON STRIKES … AGAIN!

Now we’re cooking!

Nathan Lyon strikes again, removing the danger man Brathwaite for an outstanding 110.

That was a bit quicker for the Aussie spinner and it did too much for Brathwaite who is bowled.

That should be remembered as an outstanding innings. Brathwaite is the reason this match has pushed into a fifth day and he has set the standard for the Windies.

Great bowling from Nathan Lyon. Taken pressure off his captain and Australia. Outstanding captain's knock from the very impressive Kraigg Brathwaite comes to an end.

— Ben Horne (@BenHorne8) December 4, 2022

WICKET: LYON STRIKES AS MAYERS GONE FOR 10

GAZ!

Just when Australia really needed something big to go their way, that man steps up again.

Nathan Lyon gets the breakthrough, removing Kyle Mayers with a ball that the West Indian just didn’t get forward enough on.

Some late spin catches and edge and Smith Smith swallows a simple catch at first slip.

The pressure gets even hotter on Kraigg Brathwaite now. The lower order failed badly in the first innings. The Aussies will be out for blood and the door is open.

AUSSIES MAY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO RISK CUMMINS

Pat Cummins did not bowl in the nets before the final day, but will take the field and will bowl if needed.

Australia are desperately hoping to knock over West Indian centurion Kraigg Brathwaite in the first hour, with early wickets the key to putting Cummins on ice.

However, if the Windies tough it out through the first hour, Australia may have no choice but to risk bringing Cummins into the attack for the arrival of the second new ball.

Cummins is nursing a minor quad complaint and Australia will be acutely conscious of not wanting to worsen his condition with such a huge summer and year of Test cricket ahead.

The Australian captain warmed up with teammates in the nets, doing his stretching routines and practicing throwing, but did not bowl.

PROOF MARNUS IS ONE OF THE LUCKIEST BATSMEN IN CRICKET

Australia’s players have urged Marnus Labuschagne to scribble the Bible inscription he has on his bat onto the shoes of Josh Hazlewood as the depleted home side desperately hunt final day victory in Perth.

The divine intervention has worked for Labuschagne this week with his record-breaking double century and century twin triumph, but not so much for Hazlewood who clipped the bail of West Indies ton-maker Kraigg Brathwate when he was on 67, only for the woodwork to remain unmoved.

Devout Christian Labuschagne was able to have a laugh at his own good fortune on Saturday night, but players want him to help his teammates as Australia chase the seven wickets needed for victory on Sunday with Pat Cummins carrying a quad strain and a decision to be made on whether to risk the spearhead to bowl in the attack.

“I’ve certainly had the rub of the green on many occasions of late. I think it comes in waves,” Labuschagne said of his possible divine intervention.

“Maybe all the prayers from my mum, my grandmother and everyone in my family have all been sent up at once.

“I have a Bible verse on the bottom of my bat, and the boys were joking maybe I’ve got to put one on Josh’s (Hazlewood’s) shoes tomorrow (after he failed to dislodge the bails on day four).”

Marnus Labuschagne celebrates his century against the West Indies. Picture: AFP Images

Labuschagne’s rare double-century and century feat in Perth has further emphasised his now undisputable status as one of the best batsmen Australia has ever had … and one of the luckiest.

Alzarri Joseph stunned him with a sizzling bouncer that cannoned off his glove into helmet and into the hands of a waiting fielder … but before he’d got about six strides back to the dressing room, out for 19, word came through that the West Indian enforcer had overstepped for a no ball.

Within a flash, Labuschagne had brutalised the scoreboard, finishing with two fours in the final over before a lunch time declaration to post 104 not out to go with his 204.

The magical display put him alongside Greg Chappell and Doug Walters as the only Australians in a club of only eight Test batsmen to make a double and a ton in a match.

But the Joseph no-ball Houdini moment only added to the incredible percentage of times Labuschagne has offered chances in Test cricket that have been dropped, with Fox Cricket anchor Isa Guha jokingly nicknaming him “The Cat” for his supply of nine lives.

Marnus Labuschagne puts some of his ‘luck’ down to prayer as much as good fortune. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Since Labuschagne returned to the Test team in July 2019, he has been dropped 16 times and caught only 20 and the almost one in two chances that go down off the Queenslander gives him a catching percentage of 55.5 per cent – the second lowest in Test cricket after Sri Lankan Dimuth Karunaratne.

Fox expert Mike Hussey presented a remarkable on-air analysis on Saturday which reasoned that in normal circumstances, Labuschagne should have been out seven times across his two extraordinary innings in Perth.

So stunned were the super geniuses at CricViz by Pakistan quick Naseem Shah’s inability to take a wicket in the World Cup final despite one of the most scintillating spells you will ever see, that they locked themselves in the lab and developed a new statistical analysis to determine the likelihood of what ‘should’ happen in matches, based on historical ball tracking data.

The model calculates the average outcome of each delivery based on the outcomes of historical balls catalogued in their library, which have shown the same characteristics of seam, swing and spin.

Labuschagne and Steve Smith celebrate the knock. Picture: Getty Images

Once those numbers were chucked into the machine, it came back with the fact that from 29 edges and 16 plays and misses across his two innings in Perth – Labuschagne could (based on ‘normal’ circumstances) have expected to be out seven times.

But they say you make your own luck in sport and that’s certainly the case for Labuschagne.

He is a fighter who scraps for every inch, never sleeps for a second, hits more balls in practice than anyone and does it all with such boyish enthusiasm he is an inspiration to any young cricketer.

For AFL great Joel Selwood and NRL Goat Cameron Smith, things just seemed to fall their way on the football field. Was that luck or was it method? The same could be said for Labuschagne.

Even without good fortune running his way, Labuschagne would have a record to envy, but whether it’s divine intervention from the scriptures he has written into the souls of his shoes or whether he really is lucky, the Australian No.3 is laughing all the way to the bank.

For all the jokes, Adam Gilchrist insists that should take absolutely nothing away from Labuschagne and his mind-blowing record of nine hundreds, nearly 3000 runs and an average of almost 60 from 29 Tests … because it’s one thing to be lucky, and quite another to make it count.

“OK, everyone needs a little bit of luck, or good fortune, but it’s how you capitalise on that and Labuschagne does it as well as anyone,” said Gilchrist on Fox.

“And that’s the ability to put away the play and miss or the one you’ve been dropped off and concentrate on the next ball. That’s the only one that counts.”

Originally published as Australia v West Indies: Nathan Lyon bowls hosts to victory as Pat Cummins concerns grow