Cummins denies claims chief selector ‘too close’ to players as top order crumbles again

Australia skipper Pat Cummins has rejected claims from former coach Darren Lehmann that head selector George Bailey is too close to the players and afraid to make tough decisions following another top-order collapse at the Gabba.

Cummins also confirmed Travis Head had picked up a minor quad injury – although he expects Australia’s most valuable player to feature in the Boxing Day Test – and gave no assurance that Nathan McSweeney would be given the whole series to turn his form around.

Australia’s ambitious declaration to attempt to force a result in the third Test at the Gabba backfired on Wednesday as the top order failed again on a rain-affected day five in Brisbane.

The Border-Gavaskar series remains locked at 1-1 with two Tests to play, in Melbourne and Sydney, after incessant rain, the odd lightning strike and periods of poor light put a dampener on a match Australia were in a strong position to win.

When Australia declared at 7-89 on Wednesday, India needed 275 from 54 overs for a miraculous win.

Usman Khawaja walks from the Gabba after being bowled by Jasprit Bumrah.Credit: Getty Images

With a large thunderstorm brewing over the Gabba, bad light forced players off just 13 balls into India’s innings. Players shook hands at 4.26pm local time (5.26pm, AEDT) and the match ended in a draw.

The unforeseen consequence of Australia’s bid for an unlikely win is that the top order will head into the Boxing Day Test with their confidence dented even further.

Nathan McSweeney (4), Usman Khawaja (8), Marnus Labuschagne (1), Mitch Marsh (2) and Steve Smith (4) were all unable to make it to double figures in the second innings.

Head, who made 17 on Wednesday, is the only member of Australia’s top six averaging above 25 for the series.

Earlier in the week, Lehmann questioned Bailey’s close ties with players.

“In my opinion, he’s too close to the team,” Lehmann said on the ABC. “I would like him sitting up watching in a selectors’ box somewhere and be able to make his own decisions.

Steve Smith was caught behind down the leg side to the bowling of Mohammed Siraj.Credit: AP

“My preference is the selector to be able to make decisions within a selection group and deliver a hard message if they have to; make a hard decision if they have to for the betterment of Australian cricket.

“Now, you can’t do that sometimes if you’re too close because you actually get too emotional and you care about the players.”

Cummins said he entirely disagreed with Lehmann.

“I don’t know how that could be true,” Cummins said. “There’s so much more to picking a side than just looking at the internet.

“Of course, the most important thing is you do stay objective. I think the selection panel are amazing at that. They’ve made some really bold calls over the last couple of years in all formats, probably bolder than I’d seen other selectors make over the previous years.

“They’ve never shied away from a tough decision. I think what George brings to the role is amazing, and I think you’d hear that from the guys in the side.”

Meanwhile, there was speculation from commentators on the Fox Sports broadcast that Head, who was named man of the match in Brisbane, had picked up a groin injury while batting. That was quickly dismissed by Cricket Australia. However, Cummins confirmed Head was not 100 per cent fit.

“He’ll be fine. It’s a bit of a tight quad,” Cummins said.

Opener Khawaja, whose 38th birthday ended in disappointing fashion when he was bowled by Jasprit Bumrah for eight, has 63 runs this series at an average of 12.6.

McSweeney’s woeful start to his Test career continued when he edged Akash Deep to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant for four. He has comfortably had the worst run of Australian openers in the past four decades, returning 72 runs at 14.4.

For a stop-start match that had moved so slowly, the frenetic pace of day five action caught everyone by surprise. At one stage, Australia had slumped to 5-33 after 11 overs.

Cummins said the performances of Australia’s batsmen in the second innings should not be looked upon too harshly given they were told to try to set up the match for a result.

“I think the selectors will get together tonight or tomorrow and pick the squad for the next couple of Tests,” Cummins said when asked if McSweeney would be given all five Tests.

“[McSweeney] hasn’t probably scored the runs that he would like, but he’s played some important knocks that have set up a win in Adelaide. We’d like them to score more runs, but I think they have made some important contributions that others have benefited from.

“I wouldn’t look into it too much. It was more about trying to get ourselves to a number, rather than trying to preserve wickets.”

New South Welshman Sam Konstas’ score of 56 in the Big Bash, following 88 in the Sheffield Shield and 107 before that for the Prime Minister’s XI against India, has fuelled talk that a Test debut might be around the corner.

“I look at Sam Konstas and think they have got to get him in quite quickly,” former England captain Michael Vaughan said in Fox commentary “He has got the ceiling to be world-class … he can seriously play. If there’s a few failures between now and Sydney, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make his debut at his home venue.”

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