29 Dec 2023

Cummins guides Australia to series win over Pakistan

9:02 pm on 29 December 2023
Australia's captain Pat Cummins ten wicket haul guided his side to victory in the second test at the MCG.

Australia's captain Pat Cummins ten wicket haul guided his side to victory in the second test at the MCG. Photo: Raghavan Venugopal / www.photosport.nz

Australia captain Pat Cummins took a match haul of ten wickets as he led his side to a 79 run win over Pakistan in the second cricket test against Pakistan.

The victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground means the hosts have an unassailable 2-nil lead in the three match series.

Just when it looked like the match would go down to the wire on the final day, Cummins stepped in to remove Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan's last recognised batsman, and claim his 250th test wicket.

Cummins (5-49) followed that up with the wicket of Aamer Jamal for a duck to trigger an extra half an hour of play, during which he claimed his fifth wicket of the innings and 10th of the match to help mop up the tail.

It was his second 10-wicket match haul in 57 tests and concluded a glorious year in which he led Australia to the World Test Championship, a 50-overs World Cup triumph and the retention of the Ashes in England.

Set an imposing victory target of 317 runs after bowling Australia out for 262 before lunch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the tourists had put together a series of partnerships that frustrated the potent Australian attack.

-Reuters