Clutch Cummins continues stellar 2019

Pat Cummins is having one heck of a 2019.

So far the 25-year-old has won the Allan Border Medal, was crowned the No.1 Test bowler in the world and on Sunday night in Vizag kept his composure to hit six runs off the final two balls to deliver Australia a thrilling upset win over India.

Needing 14 runs off the final over, Cummins and rookie Jhye Richardson had yet to face a ball between them as Australia slipped from firm favourites at 2-89 in the 14th over chasing 127 to win to underdogs with six balls remaining.

But after Richardson heaved fast bowler Umesh Yadav to the mid-wicket fence and scurried through for a double and a single, it was left to Cummins to ice the match.

The penultimate delivery from Umesh was a low full toss outside off stump that was banished by Cummins to the cover rope before he bunted the final ball to deep mid-on as the Australians scampered through for two to record the unlikely win.

Sitting in the dugout watching nervously was Glenn Maxwell, the allrounder whose 56 was the backbone of the run chase but whose wicket was the spark of a collapse of 5-25 that should have seen the tourists beaten.

But with Cummins out in the middle, Maxwell knew Australia were in good hands.

"I did mention it to 'Finchy' (skipper Aaron Finch), I said if anyone could go out there and face their first ball in the last over and get us 14 it's probably Pat Cummins," said Maxwell after play. 

"He can do anything.

"For him to keep a cool head, hit a gap on the off-side against a guy who hit three out of six yorkers is just real good batting. 

"And Jhye Richardson as well at the end – that was really good from a young player to do that. 

"I'm sure he would have loved the opportunity to be able to bat with Pat as well at the end. 

"You could see their little cuddle there at the end, it was beautiful."

While Cummins' game with the ball has gone to a new level in the past 12 months, his abilities as a batsman have come along in leaps and bounds as well since he hit the winning runs in his maiden Test more than seven years ago. 

Against India in the Domain Test series this summer, Cummins posted a career-high 63 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and has leapfrogged teammate Mitch Starc to take the No.8 position.

India pace ace Jasprit Bumrah, who claimed 3-16 in Vizag, praised Cummins after his match-winning hand.

"We always know that he can bat and he has the composure to bat," Bumrah said.

"He played well, he got an important boundary, he's a pretty confident cricketer, he's backing all his skills. 

"Very good for him."

The cliffhanger victory ensured Australia started the Qantas Tour of India on a positive note after a difficult 12 months in all formats.

Maxwell says the win could have a galvanizing effect on the team not only for this tour all the way through to the 50-over World Cup in England in less than six months’ time. 

"A lot of the time you come over here or go away on overseas trips, you get into these close games and you lose so often," Maxwell said

"The home crowd gets behind the home team and you can lose them, and it can just put your momentum in a different way."The days you're stuck in your hotel become a bit longer than they normally are.

"But to win a game like this – where we got ourselves into trouble and by the last over we probably should have lost – and if it wasn't for Pat Cummins and Jhye Richardson pulling something out of the hat – it was outstanding.

"It can just bring a group together. It's been a hard eight or nine months of limited-overs cricket for us, and to have a result like this in our first game on tour is great for our confidence and something we can hopefully ride and gain a bit of momentum from.

"Because winning momentum is great but losing momentum – as we found out over the last eight months is pretty hard to turnaround.

"Hopefully we can start our World Cup preparations on a good foot."

Qantas tour of India

First T20: Australia won by three wickets

Second T20: February 27, Bengaluru

First ODI: March 2, Hyderabad

Second ODI: March 5, Nagpur

Third ODI: March 8, Ranchi

Fourth ODI: March 10, Mohali

Fifth ODI: March 13, Delhi