Top 3 Australian captains who hit the highest number of sixes in a Test ft. Pat Cummins
When all attention was on Ben Stokes for being a "clutch" player and a game-changing captain, Pat Cummins quietly picked up a four-wicket haul and played two knocks for the ages, and no one paid attention until it was too late.
The Australian quick hit the shot — a four past third-man — in the 93rd over to seal a famous Ashes win for his country at Edgbaston on Tuesday, and promptly earned the tag of "new Mr. Cool" from pundits.
Among the many records he broke in Pat Cummins' unbeaten 74-ball 44, the most "clutch" was hitting the second-highest number of sixes in a Test for an Australian captain. Below is a look at the top-three names in the list.
#3 Ian Chappell - 4
Ian Chappell captained Australia between 1971-1975. In his 30-Test stint at the helm, which was a new first at that time in Australian cricket, he didn't even lose a single Test series, overall winning 15 Tests and losing five.
His best knock, as a player and captain, came against Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval in 1972. Batting second after losing the toss, Chappell punished the Pakistan attack of Mushtaq Mohammed, Majid Khan, and Asif Masood for 196 off 243 balls, including 21 fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 80.65.
Australia scored 585 in total and won the Test by an innings and 114 runs.
#2 Pat Cummins - 5
No one from England (despite Bazball) or Australia hit more than one six in their respective second innings at Edgbaston. Cummins smashed two of them in the final innings while chasing a tricky target and only two wickets in hand.
Both of those sixes came against Joe Root's part-time off-spin. With Moeen Ali unable to bowl, Stokes trusted the former captain to hold one end and Root already reposed the faith by getting Alex Carrey out but that didn't deter Cummins.
These two sixes were in addition to the three he hit — two against Moeen and one against Stuart Broad — on his way to a 38 (62) that helped Australia narrow England's first-innings lead.
#1 Ricky Ponting - 6
Australia's greatest captain, Ricky Ponting, is first on this list courtesy of his rapid 110-ball 105 against New Zealand in Auckland in 2005. He came to the crease only in the second over with the score at 8/1 and started with a six off his first ball.
The right-handed batter went on to smash five more sixes, racking up his fastest century in Tests off just 105 balls, including four sixes. Australia scored 383 in response to New Zealand's 292 in the first innings.
The hosts set a target of 164 and brought out an even better knock: an unbeaten 84-ball 86 with 12 fours and two sixes. Australia won the Test by nine wickets.