300 is a big number: Cummins reflects on historic milestone at Lord’s

Australia captain Pat Cummins etched his name into cricketing folklore on a memorable second day of the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord's, becoming the eighth Australian to claim 300 Test wickets. 

His sensational 6 for 28-- the best figures by a Test captain at the historic ground-- tore through South Africa and left the Proteas reeling.

The milestone also marked a historic moment for the game, as Cummins joined teammates Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon in the 300-wicket club-- the first time in Test history that three bowlers with 300-plus wickets featured in the same XI.

Josh Hazlewood, on 280, isn't far behind from joining the trio.

"It's great, and I've got some family here which is nice," Cummins said at the innings break. "They were batting pretty well so happy we've got a decent lead this first innings. It's way more than I could have asked for. For any fast bowler, 300 is a big number — means you've battled a few injuries and niggles, got through it and played well in different conditions."

Cummins had already removed Wiaan Mulder late on the first day, and on Thursday, he ran riot. Temba Bavuma was the first to fall, driving loosely to cover in the morning session. After lunch, Cummins unleashed a blistering spell — 4.1 overs, four wickets, four runs — that shattered South Africa's resistance.

Kyle Verreynne was trapped lbw after a mid-pitch collision with Cummins, Marco Jansen spooned a leading edge, David Bedingham nicked off, and Kagiso Rabada was brilliantly caught at deep square leg — the moment that brought up Cummins' 300th.

He now holds the fourth-best strike-rate among bowlers with 300 Test wickets, trailing only Rabada, Dale Steyn, and Waqar Younis. Across this WTC cycle, Cummins has bagged 79 wickets at 23.03, underlining his stature as the heartbeat of Australia's red-ball dominance.

"When the ball got a bit softer didn't feel like there was too much in it but still feels the odd ball is nipping a little bit," Cummins said, summing up conditions that seemed tailor-made for his sharp, relentless accuracy.