Ashes 2023 has been a riveting cricket series so far with both the Tests being thrilling affairs and being decided only on the final day. Other than the cricket action, there has been a lot of drama already. While the animated send off from Ollie Robinson to Usman Khawaja raised a few eyebrows in the first Test, the second Test match saw Mitchell Starc's catch being overturned for being "grounded" before the controversial Jonny Bairstow stumping.
The action now shifts to Bairstow's home ground-the Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds for the third Test match but the question regarding Bairstow's dismissal does not seem to be leaving Pat Cummins and Australia anytime soon. The Australian captain was once again asked about the dismissal with this time the question being whether he would do it again, now that he has had time to think over the wicket.
"Obviously things happen in the heat of the moment and you have had time to reflect, would you do the same thing again, if presented with the opportunity here?" Cummins was asked on the eve of the third Test. However, the Australian skipper gave a one-worded answer saying: "Yeah."
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Cummins did not name his Playing XI for the third Test match. However, he did confirm that Todd Murply would replace Nathan Lyon after the latter sustained an injury while fielding in the second Test. The off-spinner, a veteran of 122 Tests, has been ruled out of the series.
Ben Stokes' epic match-winning hundred at Headingley in 2019 was a talking point at the press conference but Cummins said that it will be a thing of the past when the two teams lock horns at Ashes.
"I remember at the time thinking, if I hang it outside off there might be a chance to nick it. I've seen it about 1,000 times in the last four years. It was a fantastic Test match and the first two in this series have been fantastic," Cummins said.