Australia captain Pat Cummins spoke about his decision to use eight bowlers during the first ODI against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Monday, November 4. 

Cummins, who played a crucial role in steering his team to a two-wicket victory, also shared insights into the strategy behind his bowling choices. Chasing 204, Australia found themselves in a tricky position at 139 for six, but Cummins' composed, unbeaten 32 off 31 balls guided the side to a nervy win.

Reflecting on his decision to rotate eight bowlers, Cummins explained that the conditions at the MCG and the availability of multiple all-rounders allowed him to experiment with different players. He also mentioned how teammate Marnus Labuschagne was eager to bowl, which led to his inclusion in the bowling attack.

“Marnus is always in my ear, so he had to have an over, and he got one wicket," Cummins said during the post-match presentation. "With this being an ODI and with the conditions favoring spin, we had plenty of all-rounders, so I figured we might as well use them.”

Cummins also praised the efforts of his bowling unit, highlighting the performance of Mitchell Starc, who was instrumental at the start of Pakistan's innings.

“Really happy with the way the guys bowled, Starcy was terrific at the top and the others bowled really well. Marnus is always in my ear so he had to have an over, he got one wicket. With this being an ODI and with the conditions, got plenty of allrounders, might as well use them,” Cummins said in the post-match presentation.

Australia will now look to build on this narrow victory when they face Pakistan in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval on Friday,November 8.