On day three of the Australia vs Pakistan Test, Pat Cummins made a smart tactical play that led to a key wicket. Facing a confident Rizwan on 42 runs from 50 balls, with Pakistan’s tail close behind, Cummins decided to change his approach. Observing Rizwan’s habit of chasing nearly every delivery, including wide ones, Cummins saw an opportunity. He shifted David Warner out of the slip cordon and placed him in a more squared position off-side, directly in line with where Rizwan was consistently hitting the ball.
Cummins then adjusted his line and length. Instead of going short and wide like Hazelwood had before him, he bowled a fuller, wider delivery. The change forced Rizwan to reach further and meet the ball with the bat’s lower part, lifting it into the air straight to Warner. The trap worked perfectly. The ball went exactly where Cummins had planned and Warner was ready, taking the catch without much movement.
The side-by-side comparison of deliveries showed the subtle adjustment. The fuller length caused the bat to open up and lift the shot, instead of keeping it down. Cummins read the batter well, executed the plan, and picked up Rizwan’s wicket as part of a five-wicket haul. It was a sharp piece of captaincy and field positioning that broke a potentially dangerous partnership.