Cummins makes splash with 'dream wicket'

Paceman Pat Cummins made a splash late on day one of the first Magellan Ashes Test thanks to a fortuitous turn of events involving an inconveniently-located puddle at the southern end of the ground.

While the Gabba pool deck on the eastern side attracted a handful of punters despite the unseasonably cool Brisbane temperatures, it was an unscheduled dip of another kind that provided an surprise twist to an evenly-fought opening day.

The dismissal of England skipper Joe Root in the final session, which Cummins labelled "the dream wicket", came after Australia’s quest for reverse swing was stifled by the old ball plunging into a puddle in the 57th over of a rain-interrupted day.

A leg glance for four from a Mitchell Starc delivery ricocheted off the boundary rope, over the advertising fence and into a puddle of water near the sightscreen, thus effectively eliminating the reverse swing the dry ball had been generating in the overs beforehand.

When the soaked leather returned to Starc, the left-armer looked forlornly at the ball before throwing it to the standing umpires for closer inspection. But having been given a firm indication from the officials that the now soaked pill was simply a bad break for the hosts, Starc had no choice but to return to his mark to lament his misfortune.

But when the now softened leather on the ball started to disintegrate every time it hit the bat or, in the case of Nathan Lyon's brilliant run out three overs later, the stumps, the umpires eventually agreed that a replacement was required.

Which paved the way for Cummins to bowl a wicked in-swinger that trapped England's skipper dead in front for just 15 later in the session.

"I think it went in a puddle and it got drenched," Cummins said of the soaked first ball.

"It was reversing a bit before that and to reverse it you normally need a pretty dry ball and I think it opened up a little bit (after it got wet).

"The next ball swung a little bit so it wasn't too bad."

While unheralded English batsmen James Vince (83) and Mark Stoneman (53) provided the backbone of England's day-one total of 4-196, the Australians delivered on their pre-series pledge to target captain Root and his predecessor Alastair Cook (dismissed for just 2).

The late dismissal of Root, the world's second-ranked Test batsman, was just reward for Cummins (2-59) on a day when Australia's famed pace trio found little assistance from an uncharacteristically slow Gabba surface.

And even the normally self-effacing Cummins couldn't hide his excitement at the manner in which he removed England's best batsman.

"In terms of a fast-bowler's wicket, it's pretty much the dream wicket and one of the most satisfying I've ever got," he said.

"If the ball is swinging, to set him up with a couple of overs without swing and then try and bowl one big in-swinger, it probably only comes off one in a hundred times.

"But when it does it's a pretty special wicket and fortunately it was their captain, so I couldn't have been happier with that."

Having had their pace stifled on day one by the sluggish pitch, Cummins warned Australia's quicks will have to toil hard again on the second day in order to restrict England to a manageable first-innings score.

"It's pretty evenly poised," Cummins said.

"I don't think we're going to blast them out tomorrow, it's about staying disciplined and bowling good balls.

"I still reckon it might take another day or so to get back to the really quick Gabba that everyone is expecting."

2017-18 International Fixtures:

Magellan Ashes Series

First Test Gabba, November 23-27. Buy tickets

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Buy tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Buy tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Buy tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Buy tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Buy tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Buy tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Buy tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Buy tickets

Fifth ODI Perth TBC, January 28. Join the ACF

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Buy tickets

Gillette T20 INTL Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Buy tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Buy tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Buy tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 13

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21