Pat Cummins shatters the Ashes stage (Source: AFP Photos)
The Ashes battlefield is no stranger to drama, but sometimes a quiet storm steals the show. A spectacular century may stun the world, but those six deliveries in an over delivered unexplainable drama, as any odd delivery can create endless drama.
Over the years, Ashes has seen some batting brilliance, but some iconic feats by the bowlers add more drama in the historic Test series. Five and ten-wicket hauls are celebrated, yet when a player achieves a historic milestone, even the history books pause to take note.
You must be wondering if it is even possible? Yes, and the man behind it is Pat Cummins. In the 2019 Ashes, he shattered the record book but surprisingly without any fifers.
A feat that defies dominance in Ashes history
In cricket history, the rich history of Australian cricket is known to everyone. Among some of their iconic batters, the bowlers of the nation rewrote the history of bowling brilliance. Australian spinners may have made their mark, but the Aussie pacers carved their own legacy. Among the big names like Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, and others, Pat Cummins, the current Australian captain, emerged as a formidable force.
Since making his debut, Cummins has delivered some of the most iconic performances, and Australia registered some of the iconic victories. There is no shortage of outstanding fifers, but the legend showcased to the world that consistency is the key to doing wonders and glories can be achieved without fifers or a 10-wicket haul.
The fact may sound astonishing, but Cummins proved it right. In the 2019 Ashes, Pat Cummins took 29 wickets, but the twist is that he achieved the glory without a fifer. The consistency alone was remarkable, but achieving such a feat on the grand stage of the Ashes made it truly unforgettable.
Cummins rewrites the rules with 29 wickets
In the history of Test cricket, no Test series matches the thrills of the Ashes, as over the years, England and Australia’s red-ball duel has captivated fans’ hearts for a long time. Yet among those many unforgettable chapters, Pat Cummins’ 2019 heroics stand apart, a performance carved in its own league.
Milestones carry weight, but when they come against your fiercest rivals, they echo louder through time. In the first Test, both faced each other in Edgbaston, and fans witnessed a classic. After taking the crucial three scalps of Pat Cummins, Ben Stokes, and Stuart Broad in the first innings, he took a four-wicket haul in the second innings while conceding 84 runs.
In the second Test, the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground transformed into a battleground as the arch-rivals tuned the match into a thriller movie. Restricting England to a low total, Pat Cummins played a crucial role, securing a spell of 3/61. When the pressure tightened in the second innings, he returned with another precise burst of 3 for 35.
The third Test was iconic with England’s narrow victory, depending on Ben Stokes’ unbeaten brilliance. Pat Cummins made his mark with four wickets in the match. Coming back to the fourth Test, Australia registered a massive 185-run victory. Cummins once again operated like a silent storm, three wickets in the first innings, followed by a ruthless four-wicket strike in the second, shutting down England’s hopes with icy precision.
Pat Cummins was already owning the iconic Ashes; the fifth Test was destined to show some of the fireworks from captain Cummins. In the first innings, Mitchell Marsh secured a fifer, but Cummins’ effort with a spell of 3/84 was a crucial one. When Australia found themselves under pressure in the second innings, Cummins stepped up once again, claiming two crucial wickets to keep his side in the fight.
Unbelievable feat ends a 42-year-old legacy
With that sheer consistency and unreal brilliance, Cummins secured 29 wickets in a single Ashes series and, most importantly, without a fifer. Already a historic feat, it became even more stunning as he toppled Wayne Clark’s 42-year-old record.
Clark had taken 28 wickets without a fifer in the 1977-78 Ashes, a record Cummins finally surpassed with his final scalps in the fifth Test. Records are meant to be broken, but some stand still sun.
The cricket world hails the glorious fifers, but Pat Cummins' Ashes heroics proved that consistency still shines brightest over other milestones. Taking 29 wickets without a single five-for, he’s quietly rewritten the rules of consistency. While others chase glory, Cummins lets sheer reliability do the talking.
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