Pat Cummins Continues Dominance Over Joe Root in Third Test

Cummins Claims 12th Wicket of Root

Australian captain Pat Cummins maintained his impressive record against England's top batsman Joe Root, dismissing him for the 12th time during the third Test at Adelaide Oval on Thursday. This remarkable feat marks the highest number of times any bowler has gotten Root out. Root's dismissal for just 19 runs in the first innings significantly impacted England's hopes of winning the Ashes and securing a series victory in Australia, as he caught by Alex Carey off Cummins' delivery.

Root's Struggles Against Cummins

This latest dismissal adds to Cummins' tally, surpassing Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah and Australian star Mitchell Starc, who have both dismissed Root 11 times. In their 32 encounters, Root has managed to score 292 runs against Cummins at an average of 24.33, facing 545 balls. He has played 399 dot balls against the Australian captain, hitting 35 boundaries and one six.

Root's Performance in the Series

Currently, Root ranks as the third-highest run-scorer in this series, accumulating 180 runs across five innings at an average of 45.00, with his highest score being an unbeaten 138. Although he had the opportunity to secure his first Test century on Australian soil, he failed to surpass the 20-run mark in the remaining four innings. By the end of the second session, England found themselves at 132/5, with Ben Stokes (19*) and Jamie Smith (5*) remaining not out, trailing by 239 runs.

England's Struggles Continue

At the start of the second session, England was struggling at 59/3, with Joe Root (11*) and Harry Brook (6*) at the crease, still 312 runs behind. Australia began the second day at 326/8, with Nathan Lyon (0) and Mitchell Starc (33*) batting. Starc provided a positive start for the Australian side, hitting two boundaries each off Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse. He completed his second half-century of the series with eight fours off 73 balls. However, the Australian joy was short-lived as Jofra Archer dismissed Nathan Lyon for just 9 runs off 35 balls, leading to Australia being all out for 371 runs in 91.2 overs.