Pat Cummins once again proved to be Joe Root’s chief tormentor as the Australia captain struck a decisive blow on day two of the third Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval. The dismissal added another chapter to a rivalry that has come to define recent Ashes battles between the two sides.
Leading Australia’s pace attack, Cummins removed England’s batting mainstay for the 12th time in Test cricket, moving clear of India’s Jasprit Bumrah to become Root’s most successful bowling adversary in the format.
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England’s reply to Australia’s first-innings total of 371 began on shaky footing as the hosts’ bowlers made early inroads. Zak Crawley fell cheaply for 9, while Ben Duckett’s promising knock ended on 29 as Australia tightened the screws in the opening session.
With wickets tumbling, England once again looked to Root for stability. However, the experienced batter’s stay was short-lived. Soon after lunch on day two, Cummins delivered a probing spell and tempted Root into an error, dismissing him for 19 off 31 balls.
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
The wicket was especially significant given Cummins’ return to the XI. The Australian skipper had missed the first two Tests of the 2025–26 Ashes due to a bone stress injury, with Steve Smith leading the side in his absence. Back at the helm in Adelaide, Cummins made an immediate impact, underlining his importance to Australia’s Ashes campaign.
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