Ashes: Pat Cummins claims historic 12th dismissal of Joe Root
What's the story
Australian captain Pat Cummins has truly made England's batting mainstay Joe Root his bunny in Test cricket. The two cricketers have had a long-standing rivalry, and on Day 2 of the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval, Cummins dismissed Root for the 12th time in the format. No other bowler has dismissed Root more often in Test cricket.
Match progress
Root departs after England's shaky start
England had a steady start in response to Australia's 371 in the first innings. Although the visitors had a 37-run opening stand, they were soon down to 42/3. Cummins and Nathan Lyon did the damage. Root came in at No. 4 to stabilize the innings, but his stay was short-lived as Cummins removed him for 19 off 31 balls just after lunch. Cummins struck after Root pulled him for a boundary in the same over.
Information
Cummins enters record books
According to Cricbuzz, Cummins has now dismissed Root the most times in Test cricket. With 12 dismissals, the Aussie skipper surpassed Mitchell Starc and Jasprit Bumrah (11 each). Josh Hazlewood is the only other player to have dismissed Root 10-plus times (10).
Player comeback
Cummins's return and impact on the series
Cummins's impact was even more pronounced as he returned for the Adelaide Test. He missed the first two Ashes 2025/26 matches due to a bone stress injury, with Steve Smith captaining in his absence. The latter led Australia to two victories. Upon his return, Cummins delivered at a crucial moment, further emphasizing his importance in this series.