Pat Cummins’ WTC Final Masterclass: 5 Records That Prove He’s More Than Just a Captain

Any fan of cricket already knows that on Day 2 of the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) Final between Australia and South Africa, the Aussie skipper not only bowled well but also bowled as if possessed and ripped the Proteas apart. Pat Cummins took a staggering 6/28 out of 18.1 overs and flipped the match on its head, and he is now, again, a cut above the rest. However, not only did Cummins take wickets, he maintained a record-breaking performance that put an exclamation mark on an already remarkable bowling outing.

Cummins Becomes the First Ever to Snag Six Wickets in an ICC Final

Let’s begin with the most staggering statistic. Cummins’ 6/28 makes him the first athlete in history to take a six-for in an ICC final. Full stop. In the entirety of the international game.

That’s right, no one in the history of the international game across all formats had done what Cummins did at Lord’s – not Kallis, not Garner, not even Rabada, who took a five-for in that particular match. Pat Cummins now sits atop an elite list of bowlers who have made their presence felt in pressure-packed finals, and ICC finals are where legends are created, and Cummins not only turned up, he dominated the day.

Record-Breaking Spell: Best Ever Bowling by a Captain in an ICC Final

Captains bear pressure. They are the ones who make bowling changes, set fields, and even fire their team up when things look desperate. So, for Cummins to be the one breaking through in South Africa’s lineup as captain? That’s a special kind of credit.

In a final meant for heroes, his 6/28 carved a legacy that even legends would pause to applaud. In fact, before this, no captain had taken even five wickets in an ICC event final! The “captain performances” before this, like Darren Sammy’s 2/6 in the T20 World Cup 2012 and Cummins’ 2/34 in his captain’s innings of the World Cup final ODI 2023, are lame. Leading from the front? Pat is nearly dragging, not just leading, the team forward.

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Lord’s Gets a New King: Best Figures by a Captain at the Venue

The Lord’s bowed to a new commander as Cummins scripted history, sending six batters packing and tradition spinning. He has eclipsed the English great Bob Willis’ 6/101 against India in 1982, a record of 42 years obliterated in (minus) also 19 overs of brilliance from Cummins.

From Gubby Allen in 1936 to Daniel Vettori in 2008, we’ve had our share of captain-bowlers at Lord’s. But no one could say they did what Pat did on a chilly Day 2. In cricketing terms, he just planted an Aussie flag right there in the middle of St John’s Wood.

Pat Cummins did more than bowl; he will now forever etch his name in a cricketing Hall of Fame, with a red Duke ball. It is the first time a player has taken six wickets in an ICC final, while being the captain with the best figures in a final, and changing the narrative of Lord’s. You could want no more.

And here’s the kicker: he’s still to bowl more overs.

As the 2025 WTC Final develops, the world will be at his feet waiting to see what more brilliant things Cummins can conjure. Because if Day 2 is anything to go by, we are witnessing something that is going to be considered greatness in real-time.

What’s your take – is this the rise of the greatest captain-bowler of our lifetime? Let us know your thoughts below!