Pat Cummins had been waiting a long time for this. Across the Ashes series, at Lord’s and Headingley and Old Trafford, he had kept losing tosses, being asked to bat, and saying that he would have bowled first if given the chance. Perhaps luck spared him three mistakes: Australia made 416 at Lord’s and won, and in the other matches had plenty of partnerships without making the most of them in decent batting conditions.
In the fifth Test at the Oval he finally got his way. You could see the arguments in favour: cloudy day, tinge of green in the pitch, the chance to take control of the match. But it was also heart-in-mouth for Australian supporters, like any bowl-first decision tends to be. It was the same fixture four years earlier when Tim Paine made the same decision, losing the match and tying the series 2-2. Or go back a few weeks, when India asked Australia to bat first before losing by a mile.
