Pat Cummins' Ashes comeback is a nightmare for Joe Root and England; Data explains why

Root has been troubled time and again by Cummins [Source: AFP]

On Wednesday, Australia unveiled their squad for the upcoming Ashes Test against England at the Adelaide Oval. Having secured two consecutive wins, the defending Ashes holders will aim to retain the urn in a high-voltage Test starting on December 17. 

Australia received a massive boost ahead of the Adelaide Test, with their regular skipper Pat Cummins returning to the team. The ace speedster missed the first two Tests amid his battles with a recurring back injury. 

However, given Cummins' stellar record against England, his Ashes return has further strengthened Australia's chances of retaining the urn. 

While Cummins is undoubtedly a valuable asset for the home side, his battle with England's in-form batter Joe Root could define the game in Adelaide. And if we analyse the head-to-head battle between these two legendary cricketers, Cummins' Ashes return is definitely a setback for the English batting maestro. 

Pat Cummins: Joe Root's perennial nemesis in the Ashes

(Joe Root's batting record vs Pat Cummins in Tests)

• As evidenced by the above stats, Pat Cummins has dismissed Joe Root eleven times in Test cricket. The English maestro, known for his grit and stroke play, has managed only 286 runs, while the Australian ace has mostly kept him quiet in the purest format. 
• Notably, Cummins dismissed Root four out of eight times in the Ashes 2017. Talking about the Ashes Tests in Australia, Root averages just over 24 against Cummins across 293 deliveries. 
• These facts indicate that Cummins has been a force to reckon with the ball, especially against Root, and could test his technique thoroughly in the Adelaide Test. 

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Why does Joe Root fall in Pat Cummins' trap?

(Root's dismissals vs Cummins in Tests)

• If we explore the technical details, Joe Root, being an English batter, plays with a proper side-on stance. He focuses on using his back foot and playing through the square, much like the traditional English batters. 
• On the other hand, Pat Cummins is known for his accuracy and ability to generate seam movement off the pitch. He relentlessly hits the corridor of uncertainty and forces the batters to commit mistakes. 
• As Cummins mostly keeps the ball around the off stump, Root finds it a bit challenging to tackle his nagging accuracy with that side-on stance. At times, his front foot goes slightly across, with Cummins exploiting both sides of his edges, simultaneously bringing bowled and LBW dismissals into play. 
• The fact that Root has been either caught by the wicketkeeper or a victim of bowled and LBW dismissals on seven out of eleven occasions off Cummins' bowling suggests how effective the latter has been against the former around the corridor of uncertainty. 

Conclusion: Why Cummins' return is a worrying sign for England

(Key ENG batters vs Cummins in Tests in Australia)

Joe Root is England's highest run-getter in the Ashes 2025-26, and the visitors would definitely need him to step up as they aim to avoid a series defeat in Adelaide. In such a scenario, Cummins can definitely spoil the English party if he manages to get rid of Root cheaply in the third Test. 

Moreover, Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes, England's two prominent Test batters, have also struggled to get going against Cummins on Australian soil, as it's evident from the data in the above table. 

Added to that, the Australian captain is a definite upgrade over the likes of Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser, and his stellar record against England in home Ashes Tests (44 wickets in nine Tests, average- 21.50, SR- 44.1) makes him the hosts' prime weapon to conquer the visitors at the Adelaide Oval. 

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