Pat Cummins has defended Cameron Green and third-umpire Richard Kettleborough after the pair bore the brunt of India fans’ frustration in the World Test Championship final.
The fallout from Green’s low-diving day-four catch to remove Shubman Gill continued on Sunday, after India’s frustration that it was deemed the ball had not touched the ground before the Australian had control of it.
Captain Rohit Sharma questioned, following his team’s 209-run loss, why more time was not spent making the decision, and if the right technology was in place for a world final.
Sharma and Gill could also still both face sanctions from the ICC out of the incident, with any findings likely to be handed down in the 24 hours after the match.
Cameron Green takes a catch to dismiss Shubman Gill. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
A visibly frustrated Sharma smashed his bat on his pad when Gill was given out by Illingworth, while Gill himself took to social media after day four with an image of the catch, two magnifying glass emojis and a face palm.
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— Shubman Gill (@ShubmanGill) June 10, 2023pic.twitter.com/pOnHYfgb6L
It came as Green was subjected to chants of “cheat, cheat, cheat” by the pro-India crowd at The Oval, along with significant blowback online over the decision.
“They are passionate fans, but I thought it was a fair catch,” Cummins said after Australia’s win.
“It was an absolute screamer and obviously we’re just players, we’re out on the field so we leave it in the umpire’s hands.
“And personally, probably the best umpire in the world, he knows the rule books, he’s seen every angle.
“I’d probably back his decision more so than emotional, passionate fans that are looking on a big screen from 100 metres away.”
Sharma said his on-field frustration revolved around the time it had taken to make the decision.
The call came at a crucial time, with India 0-41 and Gill and Sharma firing in pursuit of 444.
“The third umpire should have seen a little more replays of how the catch has been held,” Sharma said.
“I think it was three or four times he saw and he was convinced with it.
“When a catch like that has been taken, you need to be more than 100 per cent sure because it’s a final and we were at that important stage of the game as well.
“More camera angles should have been shown. There was only one or two camera angles that were shown.
“We’ve got 10 different angles in IPL. I don’t know why in a world event like this, there was no ultra motion that was seen or any kind of zoomed image was seen.”
Cummins explains Starc role
Pat Cummins has moved to defend Mitchell Starc’s pre-Ashes form, insistent taking the new ball off him is not a selection hint ahead of the first Test against England.
Starc did not open the bowling in India’s second innings of the World Test Championship final, with Scott Boland instead handed the new Dukes ball.
Boland then further pushed his case for selection in the 209-run win, taking 3-46 and removing Virat Kohli on Sunday’s final morning to kill off India’s hopes of chasing down 444.
The innings marked only the second time Starc has bowled first change since 2015, and came after the left-armer was taken off briefly after his first two overs in the first innings.
But Cummins indicated the move was largely because Australia believe the Dukes ball does not swing early, and was no indictment on Starc’s form.
Mitchell Starc of Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
“I don’t think I’d look too much into that,” Cummins said.
“We did that last Ashes series as well. We chop and change the opening bowlers depending on gut feel.
“The ball moves a little bit differently to Kookaburra. It might swing a bit more after a few overs rather than the first couple.
“In terms of Scotty, I’m sure he’ll play a huge role in the Ashes but we’ll see how it plays out.”
Cummins’ comments come as selectors turn their focus towards their first against England at Edgbaston on Friday.
Josh Hazlewood bowled two separate spells at The Oval before and after play on Sunday, and is expected to be fit for the match.
That will create a squeeze between Hazlewood, Boland and Starc to join Cummins in the attack, with Australia likely to rotate throughout the series.
Starc endured the most expensive Test match of his career by going at 5.34 an over against India at The Oval, where the square is wide and the ball runs quick to the boundary.
But he also claimed the key wicket of Virat Kohli with a rising short ball in the first innings, and took 2-77 in the second.
“I thought Starcy bowled well, particularly today,” Cummins said.
“He did a role for us that we know Starcy can do after 80 Test matches.
“He has got a huge tour ahead of him and will play a huge role for us.
“The English side sets up slightly different as well. There are a few more left handers. The wicket is going to be a bit different.
“I’m really happy with where Starcy is.”
‘The Ashes define teams’
Raising the World Test Championship mace felt good enough – but Cummins believes lifting an Ashes urn aloft will be a legacy definer.
As the Australian captain savoured his team’s global triumph at The Oval on Sunday, he was asked to transport his mind seven weeks hence to the same London venue after the fifth and final Ashes Test.
“The great thing about this final is we feel like we’ve played awesome cricket for the last two years and being there at the end holding the trophy feels really well deserved. That’s great for our team,” said the proud skipper.
“But I’d say whether we like it or not, Ashes tend to define eras and teams. Ashes are bloody hard to win. I think it’s been 20-odd years.
“It’s not going to be easy – but if we were to win it, that is legacy-defining stuff.”
With barely any time to really savour becoming world champs before next Friday’s Ashes opener at Edgbaston, the skipper reckoned his men would be doing their utmost to enjoy, however briefly, a “special achievement”.
“We’ll sit around in the changing rooms for a while and then find a nice sunny English beer garden somewhere, probably this afternoon, to sit back and celebrate,” he beamed.
“It’s been an amazing two years. We’ve had this final in the diary for a while. It’s been something we’ve been building up for so it’s something we’re going to savour.
“I know we’ve got a big series coming up but we can worry about that in a couple days’ time. You only get a few of these moments in your career where you can sit back, acknowledge a pretty special achievement – and that’s one of these times.”
This match had, inevitably, been viewed largely through the prism of the forthcoming Ashes blockbuster but after winning such a fittingly compelling World Test decider, the Australian players, rightly, were determined that it needed to be appreciated properly.
“We’ve seen it as one big tour with two huge titles to play for – and good to tick the first one off,” said Cummins.
Nathan Lyon and Steve Smith quickly shot down the idea that the urn, for the Ashes, was more important than the mace, for the WTC – or vice-versa.
“Both trophies. It’s a silly question. You’re asking a professional athlete if they want to lose,” reckoned spinner Lyon, when asked to choose.
“I can’t say either is bigger, they’re both big,” agreed Smith. “We’ve played for two years to win this – and winning an away Ashes is big.”
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