Cummins prepared for the big test

When Pat Cummins was still a schoolboy with stars in his eyes, he saw his "favourite" Test series play out. A daring South African outfit toppled the world's best, the Australian team that nobody believed they could beat, in their own backyard in 2008-09. Three years later, Cummins has been named in Australia's Test squad to face South Africa after a dizzying rise from debutant Twenty20 player to owner of the baggy green cap, having only played three first-class matches.

"I was over the moon to get the Twenty20 gig and now to be going into the one-day series," Cummins said. "But the baggy green for Australia is obviously one of the most coveted things in sport and to be part of a Test series is a big deal."

With the ability to bowl consistently at around 150 kph, excellent control, variations and maturity beyond his years, Cummins has been talked up as the next big Australian thing. He had success in the two Twenty20s against South Africa, taking five wickets and maintaining an economy rate of below 7, and expectations have become his shadow.

Cummins is taking it in his stride and says he does not see it as extra pressure but, rather, extra belief in his ability. "It's almost given me more confidence in that I've got the backing of fellow players and obviously past players as well," he said. "I guess it does put a little bit of added pressure trying to live up to those comments but it has helped."

Cummins has earned praised from New South Wales team-mate Shane Watson and national T20 captain, Cameron White, and said that working with people he used to idolise is something he is relishing. "I've never really played with any of the guys or worked much with them, but I am enjoying part of the squad with those guys, who have obviously been around for a long time and successful in every form." He has also earned praise from former South Africa coach Mickey Arthur, who said Cummins should earn his first Test cap against South Africa despite his lack of experience in the longest form of the game.

Cummins' performances in the T20s appear to have only confirmed what the selectors and administrators suspected all along - that his execution is exceptional. And they see that as enough evidence that he will be able to adapt to Test cricket. With T20 slowly starting to be seen as a breeding ground for players to be introduced onto the international stage, Cummins serves as another example of that theory. Without saying whether or not he bought into it, Cummins did say that T20 cricket has the potential to make or break a career. "You can either be lucky or unlucky in T20 cricket," Cummins explained. "Some days you can bowl beautifully and go for 40-odd and the next day and you can get a few lucky ones away and get a few sky balls and you end up with three or four wickets.

"I think it's a platform where you can really succeed and put your name forward, but it's also one when you can be unlucky at times." For Cummins, it has been the audition for higher honours. He said he concentrates on three things when bowling, no matter what type of match he is playing. "Accuracy is vital in all forms of the game and I guess pace is a big part of that as well," he said. "Also moving forward to the red ball and the one-day stuff, swing and movement is also a big part."

Before leaping onto the Test stage, Cummins will be part of the ODI series, a three-match affair that promises to be intense. "It's the first one-day series I've been a part of and Australia are No.1 ranked in the world at the moment so I guess we're going into the competition pretty confident and hopefully we can get a few good wins."