Cummins blows off rust to deliver gold

Steaming in with searing pace touching 150kph, beating batsmen all ends up and taking a bag full of wickets: Pat Cummins has sounded the warning bells for his opponents after a career-best effort in Canberra.

Ever since bursting onto the international scene with a man-of-the-match performance in his maiden Test in Johannesburg in 2011, huge hype and hope has surrounded Cummins.

Report, highlights: Australia secure Chappell-Hadlee Trophy with huge win in Canberra

For a time, it appeared Cummins' tale might be a sporting tragedy: prolific talent unfairly cruelled by an uncooperative body. 

Carefully managed throughout his developmental years – remember, Cummins is still only just 23 years old – Australian cricket has waited patiently for him to fulfil the potential. There's been false starts, remodelled actions and lots and lots and lots of lonely hours in the gym. 

The hype took a giant stride closer to becoming reality on Tuesday night with 4-41 a new personal milestone. It was the third four-wicket haul of his still fledgling career, and David Warner says there's plenty more to come.

"The plus side with Patty is that he’s actually still learning, he’s still only played a handful of games, he’s really enjoying it and champing at the bit to get out here and work hard," Warner told Optus Sport's Stumps. 

"He’s had a lot of misfortune obviously with injuries so he’s just pumped to be out here in the green and gold again. 

"I’m really excited for him because I know what he’s capable of and we’ve only seen glimpses of that quality." 

Warner said Cummins had shown signs of rust in Sydney in his comeback match but was quickly into his stride at Manuka Oval to help bowl New Zealand out for 262 as Australia wrapped up the Victoria Bitter ODI Series and the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy with a match to spare.

"He's been working his backside off to get fit and ready," Warner said. 

"He was a little bit rusty in that last game but he's executed his plans tonight. 

"It did take him a couple of balls to get in. He did tell me at the top of his mark he can't quite work out why he's floating them up there a couple of times in the first over. 

"But once he got into his rhythm he was fantastic."

That first over was punished for nine runs – including a brace of boundaries to fast-starting Black Caps opener Martin Guptill – as the tourists mounted an early salvo in reply to Australia's mammoth 5-378.

But, with the aid of a tactical change from skipper Steve Smith, who indicated he wanted his pace tyro to soften up the hard white Kookaburra by bowling cross-seam, the next over claimed the key wicket of Guptill. 

The 148.6kph thunderbolt ball held its line just enough to graze the outside edge of Guptill's bat on its way through to the gloves of Matthew Wade, who completed his 100th one-day international dismissal. 

Cummins broke through the 150kph barrier later in the same over, and was in the 140kph range for most of the night. 

Which made the 121kph cutter that caused Kane Williamson to miscue a catch to Warner all the more impressive. The Kiwi skipper had looked previously untroubled to compile a run-a-ball 81 before he was undone by the speedster's clever change of pace. 

Having taken two prize top-order wickets, Cummins returned to clean up the tail, cramping Tim Southee for room as he top-edged an attempted pull into George Bailey's waiting hands, while Matt Henry was well caught in the deep by James Faulkner.

The question now will be what comes next for Pat Cummins. With the series in the bag and having sent down 19 overs in three days, Australia's selectors will undoubtedly consult with the Bupa Support Team sports scientists ahead of the third ODI in Melbourne on Friday. 

Beyond that remains to be seen. He's only played eight first-class matches, and none since a tour match on last winter's Ashes tour where he took 3-64 in 20 overs, and added an unbeaten 82 with the bat. 

A KFC Big Bash League title defence looms with the Sydney Thunder over the holiday season, and Cummins can certainly expect to find himself back in Australian colours for the five-match Victoria Bitter ODI series against Pakistan in January. 

A spot on the Test tour of India remains unlikely – hardly the ideal location for a young fast bowler to attempt to make his mark – and Australia's fast bowling coach David Saker is adamant there will be no rushing back of either Cummins, or Victorian James Pattinson who is battling his own injury issues.

"I just think we shouldn't rush things with both of them," Saker told ABC Grandstand last week.

"But Patty Cummins, I'd just like to see him get through some one-day cricket and some really high-intensity cricket.

"We don't want to rush them back. We just want to see them play and probably just get through the rest of the summer."

"One, for them and being confident with their body and, two, we probably need them going forward after that. We don't want to rush them, that's for sure."

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