IND vs AUS: Cummins becomes 3rd highest wicket-taker as captain in Tests

Pat Cummins now has 119 wickets under his belt as Test captain after assuming the position back in 2021

The fourth day of the ongoing third Test between India and Australia was highlighted by a courageous fightback from the Indian lower order, who stepped up in an adverse situation to avoid the follow-on from Australia. However, Australia led the game by 193 runs in the first innings at the end of day four. They still have the edge and will fancy their chances of winning the match on the final day of the Test. Amidst all this, Brisbane witnessed a new record as Australian skipper Pat Cummins surpassed two iconic figures—Garfield Sobers (West Indies) and Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)—to become the player with the third-highest wickets as a Test captain.  Check India vs Australia 3rd Test Day 5 LIVE SCORE, MATCH UPDATES AND FULL SCORECARD HERE

 

Cummins' dominant performance in Brisbane

 

Cummins added to his growing tally of wickets in the third Test, reaching 119 wickets as a Test captain. This milestone was achieved through a dominant spell of bowling during India’s first innings, where he was relentless on the pitch, hitting the deck hard. His efforts resulted in crucial wickets, including Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Ravindra Jadeja, dismantling the Indian middle order.

 

 

With this performance, Cummins is now behind only Australia’s Richie Benaud (138 wickets) and Pakistan’s Imran Khan (187 wickets) on the list of most wickets taken as a captain in Test cricket.

 

Cummins, the captain

 

Pat Cummins’ journey as Australia’s Test captain began in 2021 after Tim Paine’s resignation, making him the first fast bowler to lead the team since 1956. He silenced doubts about balancing leadership and pace bowling by guiding Australia to a dominant 4-0 Ashes victory in 2021-22. Cummins’ calm, empathetic, and collaborative leadership style relies on team harmony and senior players like Steve Smith.

 

Under his captaincy, Australia won the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final against India and retained the Ashes in a 2-2 draw in England. Cummins also led Australia to victory in the 2023 ODI World Cup, overcoming early setbacks with tactical brilliance and composure under pressure. Cummins’ ability to inspire through actions and steady leadership has solidified his legacy as one of Australia’s most accomplished and admired captains of all time in just three years.