Australia captain Pat Cummins continued his dominance over star England batter 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 Australia captain recovered from a back and bone stress injury. As a precaution, he missed the first two Tests of the Ashes series. Star batter Steve Smith stepped in as captain and guided the Men in Blue to an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Pat Cummins Makes Immediate Impact on Return in Adelaide Test
Pat Cummins made an immediate impact on his return as Australia pressed their advantage in the Adelaide Test. After Australia were dismissed for 371, Cummins took the new ball and quickly unsettled England’s top order. 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 down for 42 runs despite a steady opening stand. Joe Root and Harry Brook then tried to steady the innings, and their partnership was crucial for England’s comeback.
Cummins stepped in again at a crucial moment, dismissing 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 the prized scalp of Joe Root just after lunch!#Ashes | #PlayoftheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/2iRnD0Wcs3
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 18, 2025
Pat Cummins Becomes Leading Bowler to Dismiss Joe Root in Tests
Cummins got the better of 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 both dismissed Root 11 times each. Josh Hazlewood is the only other bowler to reach double figures, with 10 dismissals.
Bowlers to Dismiss Joe Root the Most in Tests:
| Rank | Bowler | Country | Dismissals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Australia batter Justin Langer said that England’s batters are not moving their feet enough, which makes things very hard 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 big worry for England.
“England’s footwork – they’re just not going anywhere. In Australia you’re dead against really good bowling if you don’t move your feet into position,” Langer said.
“Joe Root’s a master, he’s one of the all-time greats and Cummins has got him out 12 times in Test cricket, great length, but if I was in the England camp that’d be something that was really worrying me,” he added.
