Pat Cummins' 5 most fiery spells against India
Arguably one of the best fast bowlers in the modern generation, Pat Cummins celebrated his 30th birthday on Monday, May 8.
Cummins has proved his mettle across all formats and defied the odds to become Australia's captain. He has even taken his team to next month's World Test Championship (WTC) final at the Oval.
Cummins has an impressive record against India and no matter what the format, the speedster has made an impact with his searing pace and accuracy. Playing against tough opponents brings the best out of the right-armer.
That's probably one of the main reasons why he has consistently risen over the past few years as one of the best in the business.
On that note, let's take a look at Pat Cummins' five most memorable spells against India across formats.
#5 4/29 | AUS vs IND 3rd Test, BGT 2020-21, Sydney
The enthralling Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2020-21 reached an interesting phase when India and Australia had both won a Test each. The third game was to be played in Sydney with the series evenly poised.
A sensational 131 from Steve Smith and half-centuries from Will Pucovski and Marnus Labuschagne helped Australia post a competitive score of 338 in their first innings. India had to bat well to take advantage in the game, but Pat Cummins stopped them in their tracks with a simply brilliant performance with the ball.
In 21.4 runs, Cummins conceded just 29 runs and ended up with four wickets as India were bundled out for just 244. It gave Australia a crucial lead of 94 runs and put the visitors in a dangerous position.
However, a fantastic rearguard effort in the second innings from Rishabh Pant, Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin ensured the visitors salvaged a draw.
#4 4/29 | IND vs AUS, 2nd ODI, Nagpur 2019
India and Australia played a low-scoring thriller in Nagpur and Pat Cummins once again made a contribution of note. He was instrumental in dismissing big names like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and ended up with figures of 4/29 in nine overs.
The target of 251 seemed below par, but a collective effort from the Indian bowlers meant that Australia fell eight runs short, getting bowled out for 242. Vijay Shankar was the hero for the hosts, picking up two wickets in the final over to seal the win.
#3 4/21 | AUS vs IND 3rd Test, BGT 2020-21, Adelaide
Pat Cummins had a role to play in what was arguably the darkest day in India's Test history. It was the infamous pink-ball Adelaide Test of the 2020-21 Border Gavaskar Trophy where the visitors were in pole position going into their second innings.
However, what followed on the morning of Day 3 of that Test has left a scar on the minds of Indian fans. The visitors were bowled out for just 36, the lowest total in their Test history. Cummins picked up four wickets and conceded just 21 runs in 10.2 overs in an incredible burst.
It was an absolute rampage from the Aussie quicks in the first session that day that became the biggest reason for their comprehensive win.
#2 5/70 | IND vs AUS, 4th ODI, Mohali 2019
A high-scoring game between India and Australia in Mohali showed just how strong the visitors were even away from home. India posted a mammoth 358/9 in their 50 overs with a big hundred from Shikhar Dhawan and a well-made 95 from Rohit Sharma.
Pat Cummins conceded 70 runs, but it were his five wickets that ensured that the hosts don't get an extra 20 runs towards the backend. That proved to be a massive difference in the end as Ashton Turner (84 not out off 43) played an absolute blinder to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
This famous win also kept the visitors alive in the series and they ended up winning the five-game rubber 3-2 after losing the first two contests.
#1 6/27 | AUS vs IND 2nd Test, BGT 2018-19, Melbourne
Pat Cummins' best figures against India came in a losing cause. However, the speedster proved just how capable he was and ran through an entire batting line-up filled with quality players.
After both teams ended their first innings, India were in the driver's seat to win the Test. A six-wicket haul from Jasprit Bumrah ensured that Australia conceded a staggering lead of 292 runs. The visitors didn't opt for the follow-on and decided to bat again and set a target.
This was when Cummins came into his own and caught the Indians completely off-guard. He dismissed each of their top five batters to give his side a sniff. However, the 292-run lead Australia had conceded allowed the visitors to declare on 106/8 and still have enough runs on the board to win the game.
Regardless of the result, Pat Cummins' spell on arguably one of the flattest wickets in Australia was a simply mind-boggling display of high-quality pace bowling.