Bubble no trouble for eager Pat Cummins

As the rest of the world starts to wilt, a turbocharged Pat Cummins says he is still bursting with energy inside cricket’s biosecurity bubble.

Pat Cummins has not been worn out by this summer’s workload Picture: AFP

As the rest of the world starts to wilt, a turbocharged Pat Cummins says he is still bursting with energy inside cricket’s biosecurity bubble.

Australia will carry an unchanged attack through the ­Border-Gavaskar series. Coach Justin Langer wants his fast bowlers to soldier on in Brisbane in the manner of Rick McCosker, Steve Waugh and Allan Border.

Cummins, 27, is ready to power through the fourth Test and on to South Africa for another three-Test series and then to the Indian Premier League.

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While that would probably mean the world’s best bowler spending most of February through to May trapped inside bubbles, the workhorse has not suffered severe mental or physical fatigue this summer.

Australia is also hoping to reach the World Test Championship, which should be played at Lord’s in June.

“I feel really lucky I got that seven or eight days at home (during the white-ball series in December) to reset ahead of the Test matches,” Cummins said.

“So I feel in a good place. After the Gabba Test match, hopefully we’ll have another couple of weeks (off) before we go overseas for a couple of different trips.”

Much to Langer’s frustration, Australia is expected to play a T20 series in New Zealand and a Test series in South Africa simultaneously as cricket boards look to stimulate each other’s finances during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some players are likely to then skip the lucrative IPL as fears rise that bubble life cannot be sustained much longer.

But Cummins all but guaranteed he would be ready to fire.

“Three Test matches over in South Africa is still the plan, then most likely after that there’s an IPL somewhere,” Cummins said.

“We’ll have to wait until we get a bit closer to see what that (IPL) looks like.

“Whether you have to quarantine on either side, whether it’s a hard lockdown or your family can come or whatever it is.

“But at this stage I’m really keen to get over there.”

India is hoping to host this year’s IPL, although it could again be staged in the UAE due to ­coronavirus.

There was an intense IPL bidding war for Cummins last year.

He was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for $3.2 million and knocked over Steve Smith and Ben Stokes in one over on his way to figures of 4-34 in one match.

Smith captained Rajasthan Royals last year but is likely to be released back into next month’s auction.

Cummins bowled just 63.3 overs across the first two Tests but sweated through 47.7 overs in the draw at the SCG. He leads the ­series with 15 wickets.

But Cummins, speaking on the eve of the Sydney Test, said that he was ready to shoulder a big workload.

“The first two Test matches I’ve bowled 30-odd overs in each,” Cummins said.

“I’m ready to bowl heaps of overs in these last two if needed.

“Mentally I feel in a good place, and physically in a great place.”

Herald Sun