Australian captain Pat Cummins made a stunning return to Test cricket in the third Ashes Test, immediately proving his worth with the ball. With 150 wickets as a Test captain, he became only the second bowler after Imran Khan (187) to achieve this milestone, while spearheading Australia’s dominance over England.
The fast bowler delivered a captain’s performance, spearheading Australia’s dominance and putting the hosts firmly on the brink of retaining the Ashes.
Cummins starred in the first innings, removing key English batters including Zak Crawley (7) and Joe Root, who managed just 19 before edging a delivery from the Australian skipper to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
Australia set England a daunting target of 435 runs to win at Adelaide Oval. In the second innings, Cummins struck early, dismissing Root (39), Ollie Pope (17), and Ben Duckett (4), while Nathan Lyon, also returning to the side after being benched in the second Test, took three wickets to dismantle the visitors. Together, Cummins and Lyon have claimed half of England’s wickets so far.
The wicket of Ollie Pope helped Pat Cummins take his Test wicket tally to 314, making him Australia’s sixth-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. In the process, the right-arm pacer moved past former left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson, who finished his career with 313 Test wickets.
At the close of Day 4, England are 228 runs away from victory, with only wicketkeeper Jamie Smith and Will Jacks at the crease. Australia, on the other hand, need just four more wickets to seal the Ashes, keeping the hosts firmly in control.
England are now battling to save the Test and the series, with only their last recognised batsmen, wicketkeeper Jamie Smith and Will Jacks, at the crease. The duo faces an uphill struggle against relentless Australian bowling, as Australia look poised to seal a historic victory.
With this performance, Cummins has not only reaffirmed his value as a bowler but also boosted Australia’s chances of winning the Ashes faster than any team in over a century.
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