Australian cricket fans have reason to smile as Pat Cummins, the Test and ODI skipper, has returned to bowling after recuperating from an ankle injury. Cummins is preparing for a hectic cricket calendar, including the Indian Premier League (IPL) next month and the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa in June. His recovery significantly boosts Australia’s efforts to dominate in red-ball and white-ball cricket, and with excitement building up, fans are eagerly following updates on platforms like Billy 777 login for the latest cricket news and insights.
Cummins’ Road to Recovery
An ankle injury accumulated during the Test series against India forced Cummins out of the continuous Champions Trophy. Still, he lately sent encouraging notes on his recovery. Speaking with ESPNcricinfo, Cummins said he began bowling once more for rehabilitation.
“The ankle is all going strong,” Cummins declared. “I’ve been able to give it a good rest and then build up slowly, which you don’t get to do when you play lots of cricket. It feels as robust as it has for a considerable period. It should be suitable for the IPL; that is the idea. I have a few weeks of bowling and building back up, and hopefully, I won’t have to worry about it for a bit.
Cummins has been plagued by damage, especially around Melbourne’s Boxing Day Test. Notwithstanding the difficulties, he has chosen against surgery and instead concentrated on cortisone injections to control the pain and rehabilitation.
Balancing Workload for a Packed Schedule
Following the WTC final, Cummins is sure he can handle his load during the IPL and is looking forward to playing a full part in the three-match series against the West Indies. However, he may miss some white-ball matches ahead of the Ashes series against England later this year.
“Sometimes by skipping the odd tour, you actually end up playing more cricket for the whole year,” Cummins said. “In the past, players used to play everything, but now we try to ensure players are at their peak for as long as possible. It’s just the way of the world, and everyone’s used to it.”
Australian Pace Attack for the Champions Trophy
Together with fellow pacers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, Cummins’s absence from the Champions Trophy has left Australia’s pace attack comparatively inexperienced. Players like Ben Dwarshuis and Nathan Ellis have stepped forward, though. Dwarshuis claimed three wickets against England, while Ellis displayed his versatility by bowling efficiently in the middle and death overs.
“[Nathan] has always been so valuable because he can bowl at any stage,” Cummins added. “He doesn’t need to take the new ball to have a significant impact. He can bowl from the end and through the middle.
Josh Inglis Shines in the Absence of Cummins
Josh Inglis is one of the bright players in Australia’s Champions Trophy campaign. The wicketkeeper-batsman struck 120 from 86 balls in a high-scoring encounter, guiding Australia to a thrilling victory. Following his first Test century against Sri Lanka last month, this performance highlighted his increasing confidence and adaptability.
“He’s been running beverages on almost every Australian tour for about the last four years,” Cummins said of Inglis. We have always known his caliber. Two hundred in several forms in the past month is quite remarkable. He’s so dynamic—you can bat him anywhere in the order. He can knock spin and finish off an inning with his broad spectrum of shots. He’s getting into a tremendous sweet point in his career.”
Selection Dilemma Recent performances by Inglis have spurred a choice argument ahead of the WTC Final. The Australian chooseers have a difficult choice with players like Sam Konstas and Cameron Green also in contention. Although not a picker, Cummins thinks Inglis has a solid case to keep his place.
“I think you’re open to anything at the moment,” Cummins said. Two of the most in-form men are [Inglis and Carey]. They’re straight into the ODI side together, and it’s no difficulty. We’ve picked two all-rounders before and two keepers in Sri Lanka. Given that they both score runs, I cannot see why they cannot coexist.
Looking Ahead: T20 World Cup and ODI World Cup
After the Champions Trophy, Australia’s emphasis will shift to the T20 World Cup in 2026, followed by the ODI World Cup in 2027. Leading Australia to triumph in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, Cummins has sights set on defending the crown in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
“It comes around quite quickly—we’re already almost halfway,” Cummins said. “That’s definitely what we’ve been speaking about. Test cricket and other events take the stage when it is far off. But once it gets closer, that becomes more of a focus.”
