Australia cruised to victory in the second T20 at Canberra to take a 1-0 series lead after the first game was washed out. The third and last game at Perth today is crucial for both the teams as Australia would love to take the series home and Pakistan would be eyeing for an upsetting tie. From what we have heard, Australia will have to rebalance their bowling attack for the match as their fast bowler Pat Cummins has been rested for the match. The pace spearhead has been rested to freshen up ahead of the Tests seeing that he has been playing for the past 5-6 months without any rest at all.
For the Aussies, the ongoing series is not just about winning a match against Pakistan. More importantly, it is about maintaining their recent run of good form ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup to be played in Australia next year. It is no secret that the Kangaroos have struggled in this format since forever. It is therefore extremely crucial for them to keep the momentum going in their favor.
Who replaces Pat Cummins in this final T20I?
As far as the reports are concerned, it might be Sean Abbott. Here’s what the Australian Head coach, Justin Langer said- “It’s a little bit of recovery and preparing for the Test match,”
He further explained- “We’ve got so much Cricket on and he plays a lot of it so we’ve got the opportunity for him not to take the long flight to Perth. In the past, we have used these opportunities to rest some of those guys,”
“But we need to get better at it, it’s something that is a priority for Australian cricket. So, therefore, you want to play your best players as often as you can.”
Australia surely looks like a team with a plan. They are eyeing for the big cup and if their current form is anything to go by, they might have a real chance at it too. It is obvious that they have been after it since 2010 when they lost out to their old foes England in the final. And that’s the closest Australia has ever been to the title.
The best part of this team is that they are mature enough to work on their weaknesses and pick a team based on conditions and circumstances.
