PERTH, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 18: Mitchell Starc of Australia looks on during day five of the Third Test match during the 2017/18 Ashes Series between Australia and England at WACA on December 18, 2017 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
When Pat Cummins was deemed a close contact if a positive Covid case on the eve of the second Test in Adelaide, he became unavailable for the Test match.
This meant he would join fellow seam bowler Josh Hazlewood on the sidelines for the day-night Test. But it could've been much worse for Australia had fellow wicket-takers Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc not felt the need to play a joke of sorts on their new skipper.
Cummins came in contact with the positive case at an Adelaide restaurant which Starc and Lyon were also dining at.
Starc and Lyon ate outside meaning they were not forced to isolate for seven days.
The tall left-arm seamer revealed after day 3 of the second Test that he and the finger spinner had only dined outside as a joke at the expense of Cummins.
“It was just fortunate we were sitting outside,” Starc said.
“That was almost a bit of a p*sstake because Pat didn’t reply to our message, so we thought we’d sit away from him and sit outside.
“So it was a bit lucky.”
Thankfully for Australia, the practical joke meant that Starc and Lyon were available for the Test match with Jye Richardson and Michael Neser already coming in to replace Hazelwood and Cummins.
Scott Boland was flown in as cover should Starc be made unavailable while Queenslander Mitch Swepson has been with the squad as cover for Lyon.
Starc went on to take four wickets in England's first innings while Lyon claimed three poles. Cummins has since departed Adelaide for Sydney.