"We will praise him when he deserves to be praised" - Harbhajan Singh lauds Pat Cummins' spell in AUS vs SL World Cup 2023 clash

Harbhajan Singh has pointed out that Pat Cummins bowled a praiseworthy spell in Australia's World Cup 2023 win against Sri Lanka.

Cummins registered figures of 2/32 in seven overs as the Aussies bundled out Kusal Mendis and Co. for 209 in Lucknow on Monday, October 16. The five-time champions then chased down the below-par target with five wickets and 14.4 overs to spare to open their account in the tournament.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Harbhajan was asked about Pat Cummins finally coming good for Australia, to which he responded:

"We will praise him when he deserves to be praised because he did a praiseworthy job today. He looked ordinary earlier, so we couldn't have said he was very good. He is a fantastic player but the performance was seen today (on Monday)."

The former India spinner added that Cummins' performance with the ball also helped his cause as a skipper. He said:

"As a captain, when your own performance is good, your way of leading the team changes. You would have seen the way he used his bowlers, all the Australian bowlers looked in an attacking zone."

Cummins gave Australia their first breakthrough by getting Pathum Nissanka caught by David Warner at deep square leg after a 125-run opening-wicket partnership. He then castled Kusal Perera, the other opener, which triggered a collapse as Sri Lanka lost their last nine wickets for just 52 runs.

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"The credit for that wicket goes to Warner as well" - Harbhajan Singh on Pat Cummins' dismissal of Pathum Nissanka

David Warner took a diving catch off Pat Cummins' bowling to get rid of Pathum Nissanka. [P/C: AP]

Reflecting on Pathum Nissanka's dismissal, Harbhajan Singh opined that David Warner deserves as much credit as Pat Cummins. He explained:

"The credit for that wicket goes to Warner as well, the sort of catch he took. He came running in, put in the dive, and moved the hands forward at the right time. When the elbow hits the ground, the catch is spilled at times."

Turning his attention to Kusal Perera's dismissal, the cricketer-turned-commentator praised the right-arm seamer for deceiving the batter with his game plan. He elaborated:

"It was a very good delivery. He used the angle properly. He was bowling over the wicket before that. He then went around the wicket and trapped him in his web. He brought the ball in."

Adam Zampa (4/47) ran through the Sri Lankan middle and lower order after Cummins dismissed the openers. The Australian skipper also contributed as a fielder, running out Dunith Wellalage with a direct throw.