Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh lauded Australian skipper Pat Cummins’ spell against Sri Lanka at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Monday. Cummins returned with impressive figures of 2-32 in the seven overs he bowled in a must-win encounter for Australia.

In fact, Sri Lanka was given a perfect start by their openers – Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera – as the duo added 125 runs and thus Australia was in dire straits for a wicket. Cummins provided the much-needed breakthrough as bounced out Pathum Nissanka, with David Warner taking a fine catch.

The right-arm pacer then also bowled Kusal Perera and triggered a collapse as Sri Lanka lost their last nine wickets for only 52 runs.

Speaking on Star Sports, Harbhajan Singh, “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).”

“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.”

The Turbanator added that credit for Pathum Nissanka’s wickets also goes to David Warner, who took a fine diving catch.

“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.”

The former off-spinner showered praise on Cummins for dismissing a well-settled Kusal Perera.

“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.”

The Men in Yellow will next take on Pakistan at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Friday.