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Pat Cummins and co called out amid 'concerning' Ashes scenes

The Aussie bowlers have been called out over a lack of fight.

riley morgan
Sports Reporter
·5-min read
Pat Cummins walks off the field after batting and Cummins runs off during the rain delay.
Pat Cummins (pictured) and the tail have been called after another collapse, which saw them fail to add 40+ runs once again in a test match. (Getty Images)

Australia's lack of a tail wag in the first innings of the Ashes has raised concerns after Usman Khawaja's wicket sparked a 4-14 collapse on day 3 at Edgbaston. Khawaja had set Australia up nicely for a first innings lead heading into day 3 with his 141 the standout innings on a dry and flat wicket.

However, Ollie Robinson's dismissal - and ugly send-off - to Khawaja sparked a disastrous collapse for Australia once again. Since the 2019 Ashes, Australia's batting tail from No.8 onwards - normally OPat Cummins -has only contributed to a 40+ score four times.

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That leaves Australia's tail as the ninth worst, of 12 international teams, in this time period. Australia was looking to take a vital first innings lead against England to start day 3 at Edgbaston.

Cummins led the way with an important 38 runs. However, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood finished on just one run. Boland was dismissed for a duck to leave Australia failing to score above 40 runs once again.

Lyon was left stranded facing Robinson's bouncing barrage as Ben Stokes set up a leg side field to baffle the spinner. And Lyon fell into the trap as he was out pulling straight to square leg.

Stuart Broad dismissed Boland as Cummins was the last wicket to fall. To make matters worse, without Cummins, No.9, 10 and 11 have scored 10 runs only twice since Australia's last summer.

Cricket fans were left questioning the determination of the Aussie tail - other than Cummins in this innings -with every run in a close series deemed important.

Pat Cummins bounces back to leave England reeling

Regardless, the bowlers brought Australia right back into the game and swung the momentum with Cummins and Boland taking two early wickets to leave England 2-28 to start day 4. The Aussie captain noticed the change of conditions after the rain break and introduced more aggressive fields to take the initiative.

And fireworks will be sure to explode on day 4 after England bowler Robinson causing a stir with an ugly spray at Khawaja after his dismissal. But it wasn't just Cummins captaincy in the final few overs of the day that caught the attention of the cricket world.

Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood walk off the field after the innings.
Pat Cummins (pictured left) and Josh Hazlewood (pictured right) have struggled for runs in recent times. (Photo by Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)

Plaudits were levelled at Stokes whose bizarre field may have got into the head of Australian opener Khawaja before his wicket. Stokes has reiterated his belief England will bring exciting and unusual tactics into this Ashes series to bring back the entertainment and he wasn't lying with the bizarre field placements.

This saw Khawaja dismissed with six English fielders in front of the wicket in mind-boggling scenes in modern cricket.

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