Nice to see Cummins bowling at good pace: Smith

If there were any doubts about Pat Cummins’s physical ability to handle the rigours of Test cricket, they were put to rest after the paceman sent down some ferocious spells in stifling heat and humidity during Australia's tour of Bangladesh.

Cummins and Josh Hazlewood shared the bowling responsibilities alongside Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar in the first Test in Dhaka, where Australia was undone by Bangladesh's spinners as it lost by 20 runs. However, Cummins's opening spell, where he claimed Bangladesh's top three batsmen, and his batting – 28 and 33 not out – underscored his utility in the side.

Hazlewood subsequently returned home with a side injury, and Australia decided to go with a three-pronged spin attack and the lone pacer in Cummins for the second Test in Chittagong, bringing in Steve O'Keefe. Cummins rose to the challenge, dishing out some searing pace even though he netted only two wickets – both in the second innings.

Cummins, 24, sent down 63 overs in two Tests and though he only had six wickets to show for his efforts, he played the perfect supporting role to Lyon, who picked up 22 wickets, including a match haul of 13 for 154 in the second Test to seal a seven-wicket win and square the series 1-1.

“He really cranked it up today,” said Steven Smith on Thursday at the end of the second Test. “He was certainly bowling some really good pace, which is really nice to see.

“We were speaking of him just then, (bowling coach) Ryan Harris and I, and he (Cummins) actually thought he bowled quicker in the first spell today and we were like ‘no way, he definitely bowled quicker in the second’.”

After his sparkling Test debut against South Africa in 2011, persistent injuries forced Cummins to wait for six years before he played his second Test. The opportunity came against India in the third Test in Ranchi in February, when he was called up as Mitchell Starc’s replacement, and he hasn't looked back since.

“Patty is still young in terms of how much he has played,” said Smith. “So he's still learning his body and learning at this level, but the more he plays the more he is going to get better. He is certainly an exceptional talent and someone that is going to be a valuable player in this team, hopefully for a long time.”

Australia is hoping to have four fit fast bowlers to choose from – Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins and James Pattinson – as it tries to win back the Ashes at home in November. Starc is out with a foot injury at the moment and has been ruled out the upcoming limited-overs tour of India along with Hazlewood, while Pattinson was rested from the Bangladesh tour to recover from back soreness.

The trio are being managed carefully and may play a few Sheffield Shield games in preparation for the first Test in Brisbane on November 23.