When Kolkata Knight Riders bought Australia’s fast bowler Pat Cummins for Rs 15.5 crore at auctions last year, many believed that the franchise had spent too much money. Questions were raised as to whether Cummins will be able to justify the price in the Indian Premier League. He does not. 1 Cummins World Bowling Test on Wednesday showed why it is a threat regardless of format, when KKR took on the Rajasthan Royals at IPL 2020.
IPL 2020 Live Score, KXIP vs MI
In the second over, Cummins went to no. 1 test hitter in the world Steve Smith. Smith played five Cummins deliveries and found himself in trouble with the closer. The batter didn’t get a run on Cummins’ first two balls, and the next one just passed to Smith, nearly hitting his bat. It was an absolute jaffa, and some KKR players even appealed for catching them.
IPL 2020 Live Stream, MI vs KXIP: When and Where to Watch
On the fourth ball, Smith tried to take command and threw it miles into the air, but luckily for the Australian batsman, it landed in no man’s land. Smith’s luck ran out on the next ball, when he hit Dinesh Karthik directly behind the stumps.
Speaking about the battle between Smith and Cummins, former Australian player Brad Hogg said on his YouTube channel: “It was the second in the chase where the game changed. Pat Cummins, the world’s number one test bowler vs. Steve Smith, the world’s number one test hitter. Pat Cummins proved he was worth the million dollars paid to him at this IPL. It made Steve Smith look like a lower-level hitter. “
IPL 2020: Shane Warne provides an update on Ben Stokes availability for the Rajasthan Royals
“He had his footwork all over the shop. It was hitting him on the outside and inside. Steve Smith started to work hard and almost got away with the penultimate ball of that switch, but he eventually got caught behind on the last ball.
“Pat Cummins was too good, too fast, precise and Steve Smith didn’t have the answers. All Steve Smith had to do was play and attack players like Mavi, Nagarkoti and the younger bowlers on that team from KKR and RR would have been in a better position. But he didn’t, he had a blackout and that cost RR the game and gave KKR the win, ”Hogg said.
KKR won the match by 37 runs. They will soon face Delhi Capitals on October 3 in Sharjah.
.
