By Megh Mandaliya
There are few rivalries in modern Test cricket with the same emotion and tactical depth as Ben Stokes versus Pat Cummins.
It’s not just England’s all-rounder against Australia’s precision-driven captain; it is a battle between fearless aggression and cold-blooded control.
In three Ashes series since 2019, the pair have faced each other 333 times in Tests.
Stokes has amassed 215 runs from those exchanges, dropping six times, with a strike rate of 64.6 and an average of 35.8.
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Breakdown by series
| Series | Running/balling | Points | 4s/6s | SR |
| 2019 (in England) | 103 (130) | 89 | 14/2 | 79.2 |
| 2021-22 (in Australia) | 32 (63) | 52 | 6/0 | 50.8 |
| 2023 (in England) | 80 (140) | 87 | 8/0 | 57.1 |
Folklore
Neither has authority over the other, yet they seem to bring out the best in the other.
In 2019, Stokes scored 103 runs off 130 balls against Cummins during the Ashes in England. That was the summer of Headingley, the innings that turned Stokes into folklore.
However, Cummins was always there, feeling for the fourth stump, hitting the bat and making false shots.
Cummins dismissed Stokes twice in that series, but not before enduring the defiant 10th wicket stand with Jack Leach that denied Australia victory.
It was the first sign of how this rivalry would play out: Stokes defied logic, Cummins held his nerve.
Exploitation
When the series moved to Australia in 2021-2022, the balance also changed.
On bouncy, faster pitches, Cummins took the lead. He held Stokes to just 32 runs off 63 balls and dismissed him twice more at an average of 16.0.
The 32-year-old pacer took advantage of the extra bounce and seam and took advantage of Stokes’ desire to counter-attack.
Every time Stokes tried to impose himself, Cummins put him in danger, a weak edge here, a mistimed pull there.
It was precision bowling at its finest, designed to outlast rather than overwhelm.
In 2023, Cummins returned to his methodical best in English conditions. He removed Stokes twice again, but this time after long fights.
Stokes still managed 80 runs off 140 balls, but his boundary rate dropped to one per 14 balls, which was also his lowest of the three Ashes encounters.
Understated
At Lord’s in 2023 he unleashed a breathtaking counter-attack against Australia, knocking down 155 (214) in a near-impossible chase.
Cummins weathered that storm, going for occasional runs, but never losing his method.
Stokes faced 74 balls from Cummins in that innings and scored just 37 runs, including two boundaries.
That contrasts with Australia’s other spearheads, Josh Hazlewood (36 off 54 balls with three sixes) and Mitchell Starc (35 off 55 balls with two fours and two sixes).
Cummins’ control of the run rate, conceding just 3.9 per over, effectively stifled England’s Bazball pace when Stokes was on the point.
Personalities
Their statistical duel reflects their personality. Stokes plays with visible emotion, experiencing the highs and lows of every delivery.
Cummins, on the other hand, is measured to the point of being inscrutable.
The competition often defines entire sessions. Since 2019, four of Stokes’ dismissals at Cummins have come within 40 balls of his arrival at the crease, early breakthroughs that set the tone for the 34-time Ashes champions.
Conversely, when Stokes lasts longer than 60 deliveries, his average against Cummins rises to 53.
But to survive early on, the southpaw will have to break Cummins’ ruthless consistency.
Ben Stokes embodies England’s fearless aggression
Early tone
Most of Cummins’ deliveries to Stokes have been in the long corridor (6-8 yards), while a significant proportion have been shorter, targeting the ribcage or rear foot.
He also consistently operates in the uncertainty zone, forcing Stokes to play a higher percentage of balls than he would ideally like.
On the way to the 2025 Ashes, this match will again be crucial. Cummins’ absence from the first Test in Perth due to a back injury could allow Stokes to set an early tone against a new ball attack lacking its most disciplined operator and claim the opening lead for the visitors.
But when Australia’s strategic spearhead returns, his length and extra bounce could test Stokes’ technique again.
READ MORE: Key Duels of Ashes 2025: Zak Crawley and Mitchell Starc face off in a battle of risk versus reward
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