Cummins could have troubled senior Indian batsmen: Waugh

Former Australia captain, Steve Waugh feels that teen pace sensation Pat Cummins, who will miss part of the home Test series against India due to a heel injury, would have tested the likes of veterans Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

"He (Cummins) would have unsettled those guys and with he and (James) Pattinson together that would have been a real test for the 35-pluses in the Indian side, who have been playing in pretty flat decks and against not really quick attacks," Waugh said.

Waugh, however, was critical of the way the rookie pacers were handled by Cricket Australia, saying it was "ridiculous" to promote the youngsters' to the rigours of Test cricket without letting their bodies get "match-hardened".

"It's pretty ridiculous that you've got young blokes who are talented and take the next step but haven't had enough overs under their belt," he was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.

Waugh, however, maintained that it would have been worth to witness the duel between the Indian veterans and young Australian fast bowlers.

"It would have been great for the crowds to see that. India will be very pleased not to see Pat Cummins in the side," he insisted.

Though, he has not been officially ruled out of the entire Test series against India starting December 26 in Melbourne, Cummins is unlike to feature in the upcoming four Tests.

"To play Test cricket you need to be bowling a lot (beforehand). Probably he's not going to bowl for anywhere between four and six weeks, depending on how he's going," Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said.

Kountouris conceded that it would be a tough task to get Cummins back on the field before the Adelaide Test.