Pat Cummins ‘will resign after the Ashes’ as England humiliates Australia

The Aussies are getting humiliated in the Fourth Ashes Test and it’s led to a bombshell prediction about the future of captain Pat Cummins.

Another horror day of Ashes cricket for Australia has led to a suggestion Pat Cummins’ captaincy won’t survive the series.

The Poms continued to batter the Aussie bowlers early on day three of the Fourth Test to post a mammoth first innings total of 592. Australia finished the day 4/113, still 162 runs from making England bat again.

It was England’s first score of more than 500 in a home Ashes Test since 1985 and the run rate of 5.49 was the third highest ever by a team that scored 500-plus.

That was only part of the unwanted history inflicted on Cummins’ side. Six of England’s top seven made at least 50 – the first time the Poms have done that since 1930.

Jonny Bairstow had a field day before cruelly being left stranded on 99 not out as Ben Stokes (51) and Harry Brook (61) joined day two heroes Zak Crawley (189), Moeen Ali (54) and Joe Root (84) in raising their bats in an absolute Bazball bloodbath.

It left former Victorian state captain Darren Berry fuming as Australia persisted with a short-ball approach while Bairstow was smashing them all over the park during a humiliating 66-run 10th wicket stand with Jimmy Anderson.

England's Jonny Bairstow raises his bat to the crowd as he leaves the field unbeaten on 99. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)

“This is unwatchable,” Berry tweeted. “This is absolutely insane to anyone watching this s**t with half a clue about the game. Enough is enough now … keep banging em in lads WTF.”

When Cameron Green finally ended the misery by trapping Anderson LBW, Berry tweeted: “Well knock me over with a feather, a fast ball at the stumps to the No. 11 gets him out. I’m shocked. What a circus. Never seen anything like this ever.”

Former Tasmanian batsman Jamie Cox was also exasperated. “England have finally caused Australia to lose their collective minds. Bowling for batters to mishit catches into the outfield?” he tweeted.

Aussie great Merv Hughes also questioned who was behind the approach, declaring the fast bowling unit needed to “make a stronger stance in the team meetings”.

But the final word went to Berry, as he made a bombshell prediction about Cummins’ future.

“Pat Cummins is a magnificent cricketer no doubt but remember this msg — he will resign from the captaincy after the Ashes series. The question is do they go back to Smudge or move forward to Head or Marsh?”

Josh Hazlewood (5/126 from 27 overs), Mitchell Starc (2/137 from 25) and Cummins (1/129 from 23) all tonned up with the ball as England proved Bazball could work against the world’s best pace attack.

It was the most runs the Aussie captain had conceded in a Test innings and they came at an historically bad economy rate for an Aussie quick.

#QuickByte: Worst economy for an Australian pacer - 20+ overs (6 ball over):

M Johnson (3/132) - 6.1 vs ENG in 2009 (Lord's)
P Cummins (1/129) - 5.6 vs ENG in 2023 (Manchester)
M Johnson (1/157) - 5.6 vs NZ in 2015 (Perth)#Ashes#Ashes2023

— Cricket.com (@weRcricket) July 21, 2023

Australia began its second innings with a deficit of 275 runs and lost both openers early before Mark Wood ripped the heart out of the visitors by removing Steve Smith and Travis Head late in the day.

Much like the first innings, David Warner, Usman Khawaja and Smith all got starts but failed to convert.

Even the weather predictions were going against Australia with new expectations the rain may stay away for around four hours on day four. Conditions are expected to be even better for play on day five.

3.20am – Smith’s lean run continues

Mark Wood is driving England towards a comfortable win after striking late on day three to remove Steve Smith and Travis Head.

After earlier dismissing Usman Khawaja, Wood surprised Smith with a legside bouncer.

The Aussie batsman attempted to paddle it towards the fence but could only manage to glove it through to keeper Jonny Bairstow to fall for 17.

It continues a lean series for one the game’s greats, who outside of a first innings century at Lord’s has scores of 22, two, 34, 16, six, 41 and 17.

Travis Head was next in but was also exposed by Wood’s speed.

The Aussie No. 5 made just one run before taking his eye off a short ball targeting his body and deflecting a catch to Ben Duckett at gully.

Australia was 4/108 and in all sorts.

1.40am – David Warner misses out again

That’s four Test matches down and David Warner has a total of 201 runs at an average of just over 25.

They’re far from horrific numbers but they’re also well short of what Australia needed from one of its opening batsman.

So consider the persistence with Warner for this tour a failure unless he saves his own bacon at The Oval.

The left-hander wasted another opportunity on day three as he second-guessed a decision to play at the ball and played on to his stumps.

It was the fourth time in two matches Chris Woakes has claimed a wicket from indecision and Warner’s exit for 28 left Australia in early trouble at 2/58.

12.45am – Khawaja burns another review

Two failures with the bat and two wasted reviews – what a Test match for Australia’s leading run scorer in the series.

Usman Khawaja finished the match with scores of three and 18 after getting the faintest of edges off Mark Wood’s first ball of the innings.

The Aussie opener did not look confident at all as he reviewed the decision and burned another challenge after incorrectly disputing an LBW call in the first innings.

Australia was 1/39 at tea, failing in its first mission of surviving to the break without loss.

11.55pm – Bairstow completes Aussie humiliation

Just to cap off the most miserable innings for Australia, England added a 66-run stand for the 10th wicket off just 8.1 overs.

Ben Stokes – who must feel like the weather will leave him plenty of time to knock over Australia a second time – was spotted several times smiling in amazement as Jonny Bairstow embarrassed the Aussie bowlers.

But they did a pretty good job of embarrassing themselves as they bowled short to a man who was hooking everything off the middle.

Bairstow was on 49 when Stuart Broad departed with the score at 9/526 but fell one run short of an amazing century as he was left stranded on 99 from 81 balls.

Anderson couldn’t be faulted as he survived 18 deliveries and scored five runs before being trapped LBW by Cameron Green to leave England all out for 592.

I can’t recall a more insipid performance from an Australian side in a Ashes test in England.

They really don’t deserve to have the rain save them.

— The Oracle (@BigOtrivia) July 21, 2023

So 275 runs in arrears, what’s the positive spin for Australia?

Well, it has been a batting paradise with all but three of the collective 14 top seven batsmen in this game scoring at least 30 in the first innings.

And the sun is out today so there’s no reason why the Aussie top order shouldn’t be confident of having the upper hand in these conditions.

The weather is the other hope. If Australia can bat for 100 overs and perhaps get its nose in front and force England to bat again, a draw is not impossible.

11.10pm – Hazlewood gets a five-for

Josh Hazlewood is going to finish with excellent figures in the midst of this carnage.

The Aussie quick pocketed Stuart Broad (seven) as the England tailender went down swinging, hitting a ball miles in the air Hazlewood was able to claim caught and bowled.

That’s five for Hazlewood. England is 9/526 from 100 overs – what a run rate that is.

10.55pm – Brief rain delay halts play

It was only a short shower but the players were forced from the field three balls into the second session.

The ground staff didn’t put the full covers on, and it blew over within 10 minutes.

It’s another minor victory for the Aussies after they restricted England to five runs an over in the first session.

“(England) won’t be pleased time is being taken out of the game already, because they weren’t expecting today to be as bad as the next two,” Callum Ferguson said on Channel 9.

The forecast is fine for the rest of the day and England has opted to continue batting.

10pm – Hazlewood strikes with second new ball

Australia has prevented England from truly exploding with the bat so far in the first session with some committed bowling.

The visitors delayed taking the new ball for a few overs before handing it to Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood – and it was the latter who delivered.

First, Hazlewood tempted Harry Brook with the short ball and the England No. 5 skied a catch to Starc on the fine leg rope.

Fewest innings to reach 50 ten times in Tests:
Herbert Sutcliffe 16
Everton Weekes 17
Harry Brook 18
Don Bradman 19#Ashes

— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) July 21, 2023

Starc’s back foot was perilously close to the rope but replays showed it was a clean dismissal as Brook departed for 61.

Chris Woakes was in-and-out in a flash, falling first ball when he tickled a catch through to Alex Carey.

Chris Woakes collects England's first duck of the Ashes series. In Australia two winters ago, they managed 17

— Simon Wilde (@swildecricket) July 21, 2023

Hazlewood wasn’t able to pull off a hat-trick but did add Mark Wood’s scalp for six with another delivery that went straight through the England batsman.

England was 8/506 at lunch, having added 122 runs in 24 overs for the loss of four wickets in the first session.

Yes, that’s how grim it’s been for Australia when limiting the Poms to around five an over is seen as doing pretty well.

8.50pm – Cummins knocks over Stokes

Australia has its first wicket of the morning – and Pat Cummins his first of the match.

The Aussie skipper has bowled well as the visitors look to limit the damage and frustrated Stokes with some accurate bowling before castling him for 51.

“He’s found a much better rhythm then at any stage yesterday when he wasn’t at his best,” Mike Atherton said of Cummins in commentary.

The wicket left England 5/437 with a lead of 120.

8.30pm – Mitch Marsh missing in action

Australia is down a bowling option today after Mitch Marsh remained in the dressing room at the start of the play.

The all-rounder bowled nine overs on day two and is reportedly sore. Michael Neser has replaced him in the field.

8.20pm – Two run out chances go begging

Oh no, Alex Carey. Picture: Channel 9

We’ll forgive him because he’s been pretty spotless in the series, but Alex Carey had an embarrassing moment with the gloves that cost Australia a run out.

Late in the 74th over, Carey spilt a return throw from substitute fielder Michael Neser, handing Ben Stokes a reprieve on 32.

Shortly after, Harry Brook was on 19 and stranded in the middle of the pitch when Pat Cummins took a ping at the stumps at the non-striker’s end but missed. Ouch.

8pm – Smith felt England were due for a big day

The biggest talk by far in the lead-up to this year’s Ashes was all about Bazball and how Australia would try to combat it.

The tourists’ plans had worked – just – in the first two Tests, before the English hit back in Headingley to make the series score 2-1.

Steve Smith believes England were still to show exactly how they like to play under coach Brendon McCullum and finally did that on day two, when breakneck batting broke the game wide open.

“We knew England were going to have a day like that eventually, the way they play,” Smith said on Channel 9.

“This morning is important. Try to limit the damage as much as possible. Keep our cool. Try to get some wickets

“I don’t think we can think about (the weather) too much. We know we need to bat well in the second innings.”