Australian fast-bowler Pat Cummins has become the leader wicket-taker in the ongoing Ashes Test series. Cummins has taken 29 wickets in the series. In the fifth and final Test, he claimed 3 wickets in the first innings and in the second innings, he finished with the figures of 2-67. The 26-year-old bagged seven wickets in the first Test, six wickets in second, four wickets in the third, and seven in the fourth Test match.

Cummins finished the series without a five-wicket haul

Cummins was consistent with his pace by clicking over 140 km per hour. Interestingly, Pat Cummins did not take a five-wicket haul in any of the five-Test matches. The pacer has broken the record of the former Australian Wayne Clark’s record of scalping 28 wickets against India in Test series without picking a fifer in 1977-78. Cummins is the number one bowler in the ICC Test rankings with 914 points with a huge lead of 63 points with Rabada being second with 851 points.

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Pat Cummins was also an important member of the Australian pace attack in the recently concluded ICC World Cup along with Mitchell Starc and Jason Behrendorff. He picked 14 wickets in the tournament and was the second-highest wicket-taker for the team after Starc who had picked 27 wickets.

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Australia won at Old Trafford last week to take a 2-1 lead in the series, meaning they will retain the Ashes urn regardless of the result of the ongoing Test. Australia is chasing a mammoth total of 399 to win the match and complete a series win and they have already lost three wickets going to the lunch break on day 4.

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Tim Paine calls Steve Smith 'a freak'

Australian skipper Tim Paine was extremely delighted with Steve Smith's stunning catch as he called Steve Smith a 'freak' as he addressed the press after the day's play. Tim Paine said that they (the Australian side) were having a chat about the moment on the pitch and that it was an incredible moment. Tim Paine said that cricketers like Steve Smith and Ben Stokes were such good cricketers who were always involved in the game and their minds were cautious at all times. The skipper continued to heap praises on Steve Smith and said that after the Australian run-machine has batted for seven weeks straight, he was not surprised to see him pull out a stunner like he did at the Oval.

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