Australian captain Pat Cummins continued his dominance over England star Joe Root on the second day (Thursday, December 18) of the third Test at the Adelaide Oval. The right-arm fast bowler claimed Root’s wicket for the 12th time in Test cricket, surpassing bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Starc.
Cummins returned to competitive action after more than five months. The Australian captain was recovering from a back and bone injury. As a precaution, he missed the first two Tests of the Ashes series. Star batsman Steve Smith stepped up as captain and guided the Men in Blue to an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Pat Cummins makes immediate impact on Adelaide Test return
Pat Cummins made an immediate impact on his return as Australia increased their lead in the Adelaide Test. After Australia were dismissed for 371, Cummins picked up the new ball and quickly put England’s top order in jeopardy. He removed Zak Crawley early to provide the breakthrough.
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England slipped further when Nathan Lyon struck twice in one over, leaving them three behind for 42 runs despite a steady opening score. Joe Root and Harry Brook then tried to steady the innings, and their partnership was crucial to England’s comeback.
Cummins intervened again at a crucial time, sacking Root shortly after lunch. The former England captain had to walk back to the dressing room after scoring 19 runs off 31 balls, leaving England struggling at 71 for 4.
Pat Cummins gets Joe Root’s prized scalp just after lunch!#Ash | #PlayoftheDay | @nrverzekering pic.twitter.com/2iRnD0Wcs3
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 18, 2025
Pat Cummins becomes leading bowler, dismissing Joe Root in Tests
Cummins defeated Joe Root for the 12th time in Test cricket. It is worth mentioning that he became the bowler who has dismissed Root the most times in the format.
Cummins surpassed Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Starc, who have dismissed Root 11 times each. Josh Hazlewood is the only other bowler to reach double figures, with 10 dismissals.
Bowlers most often dismiss Joe Root in Tests:
| Rank | Bowler | Country | Dismissed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pat Cummins | Australia | 12 |
| 2 | jasprit bumrah | India | 11 |
| 3 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | 11 |
| 4 | Josh Hazlewood | Australia | 10 |
| 5 | Ravindra Jadeja | India | 9 |
Joe Root is one of the all-time greats – Justin Langer
Former Australian batsman Justin Langer said England batsmen are not moving their feet enough, which makes it very difficult against quality bowling in Australia. He also said that Pat Cummins has dismissed Joe Root 12 times in Test cricket and added that it is a major concern for England.
“England’s footwork – they’re just not going anywhere. In Australia you’re definitely against really good bowling if you don’t get your feet in position,” Langer said.
“Joe Root is a master, he’s one of the all-time greats and Cummins took him out 12 times in Test cricket, a long time, but if I was in the England camp that would be something I was really worried about,” he added.
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