With the dangerous combination of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc ready for a demanding summer of Test matches against the West Indies, New Zealand, and Pakistan (which has already ended), Australia’s pace battery appears ready for a demanding summer. In light of the demanding year they have had playing international cricket, both captain Pat Cummins and coach Andrew McDonald expressed astonishment at the triumvirate’s strong physical state.
Together, Pat Cummins, Hazlewood, and Starc have only completed five tests in a row twice in their careers, and this unusual situation represents that occurrence.
Their previous achievement, which was made possible by an 11-month COVID-induced break, took place following the four-match home Test series against India in December 2020 and January 2021, which preceded the first Test of the Ashes in December 2021.
But as part of their current run, they teamed up to play the final two Tests of the July 2023 Ashes series, each involving a minimum of four matches. Additionally, Scott Boland played the role of third pacer in the World Test Championship final alongside Cummins and Starc. With Starc taking just one match off prior to the semi-final, they shared the field for ten of the eleven games of the ODI World Cup, demonstrating their unwavering momentum. The Pakistan series saw the trio continue their consistency.
Nothing suggests that they’ll need a break; McDonald
Even though there has been a lot of talk about David Warner’s potential replacement, Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald has stated that his team will field Cummins, Hazlewood, and Starc in the same pace trio for the first Test against the West Indies in Adelaide on January 17. Their resilience portends a seamless and unrelenting exhibition of pace skill in the forthcoming series, with the possibility of them being used in the next four Test matches against the West Indies and New Zealand.
There is no indication that they will require a break. They had a little lead going into the West Indies Test match. I saw Adelaide’s bowling lineup as essentially unchanged. They’ve undoubtedly improved throughout the Pakistan series, which is something we’ve definitely noticed. especially Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Additionally, ESPNCricinfo cited McDonald as saying, “I believe Mitch Starc’s ball speed in this game was at its highest.”