Australia vs Pakistan: John Benaud compares Pat Cummins to Dennis Lillee

Former Test batsman and one-time national selector John Benaud watched Pat Cummins end Richie’s six decade stay in Australia’s top 10 Test wicket-takers list when he snared rival captain Shan Masood to an edge to slips for his 249th Test victim.

For the skipper it was a signature strike … a big fish hooked at the right time after Cummins turned to his most precious weapon – himself. It was his seventh wicket of an exceptional match.

John appreciated the poignancy of seeing Richie replaced by a bowler he saw grow from a boy with potential to leader of his nation as both families hail from Penrith.

“I remember when Dennis Lillee passed Richie’s record for most (Australian) Test wickets at the MCG Richie gave Dennis a thumbs up from the commentary box and said “records are made to be broken,’’ John told this masthead.

“Richie would have enjoyed Pat. I wouldn’t say Pat is Dennis Lillee but he is a hair’s breadth behind him. By the end of Pat’s career I think we might be talking about them in the same breath.’’

Fittingly, Cummins is the first bowling captain Australia has had since Benaud, who died eight years ago, and their relaxed, encouraging styles are not dissimilar.

“Pat came through our development process … we had a very good system. Cricket runs in the Cummins family. (Pat’s brother) Timmy is a very good keeper. Matt was a medium pacer.

“The whole family are very modest people. Pat always had a lot of presence about him but he never flaunted it. He just stood out.’’

The Cummins boys played backyard cricket on a deliberately juiced up deck on which a young Pat was reported to be devilishly hard to face.

“He has copped a lot of flak but I admire the way he has handled it and, much like Lillee, has developed his game along the way.

“That off-cutter he bowled (to bowl Babar Azam in the first innings) was up there in the Lillee class.’’

Cummins may not have the force of Lillee’s theatrical, tightly wound personality but his calmness provides its own threat.

The link with Lillee also has a meaningful thread with Lillee guiding Cummins back to the game after a string of stress fractures.

One of his key pieces of advice was to persuade Cummins not to rock his body back and forth as he ran in to bowl.