Clarke wants Cummins to thrive

But Clarke, speaking at Lord's yesterday, said he expected the 19-year-old Cummins to rise to the occasion, having seen him take seven wickets on his Test debut, including six for 79 in the second innings, in a two-wicket win over South Africa in Johannesburg in November.

Pat Cummins

"He's done so in the past," said Clarke. "His debut against South Africa was exceptional. He's a nice kid and he loves his cricket so he'll be out there just to try and enjoy himself and do as well as he possibly can. Guys who haven't experienced conditions here it's going to take some time to adjust and see what conditions are like, but so far, so good," he said.