Pat Cummins has cemented his place among Australia's most successful Ashes captains after his side retained the famous urn with a tense victory in the third Test at Adelaide Oval. The win, sealed on the fifth day, ensures the Ashes remain in Australian hands for at least another eighteen months.
Cummins Enters the Pantheon of Great Captains
The series triumph marks Pat Cummins's third consecutive Ashes series as captain without surrendering the urn. This remarkable achievement places him in an exclusive club of Australian leaders. The only other captains to have accomplished this feat are Joe Darling, the iconic Don Bradman, Richie Benaud, Mike Brearley, Allan Border, and Mark Taylor.
The moment was made sweeter by the presence of former captain Steve Smith, who missed the Adelaide Test. Smith had skippered the side to victory in the first two matches while Cummins was absent, ensuring the credit for the series win was shared. This avoided any awkwardness reminiscent of past scenarios, such as when Adam Gilchrist led Ricky Ponting's team to a series win in India in 2004.
This retention extends Australia's overall hold on the Ashes to five consecutive series, a streak that began with Smith's batting masterclass in the 2017/18 home series. In the long history of the contest, only three Australian eras have seen longer periods of dominance: six-series streaks from 1934 to 1950/51 and from 1958/59 to 1968, and an eight-series run from 1989 to 2002/03.
The Unfinished Business in England
Despite this period of supremacy, which includes three comprehensive home victories, a significant gap remains in the record of this experienced Australian team: they have not won an Ashes series outright in England since 2001. On the last two tours, in 2019 and 2023, they retained the urn with 2-2 draws but lost the final Test at The Oval on both occasions.
While Cricket Australia's official line has emphasised that retaining the Ashes is the primary objective, the lack of a series win on English soil continues to motivate the core of this veteran side. For players like Cummins, Smith, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon, it represents the final frontier.
The victory in Adelaide was fittingly secured by Mitchell Starc, who once again broke English hearts with a decisive performance, taking his series tally to 22 wickets at an average of 17. The win was achieved in just 11 playing days, equalling the speed of some of Australia's most dominant modern-era victories.
Can 'Dad's Army' March on to England in 2027?
Attention now inevitably turns to the next Ashes series in England in the summer of 2027. The question hanging over this celebrated Australian team is whether its ageing stars can muster one final campaign. The 'Dad's Army' jibes, dismissed before this series, have gained some traction due to a spate of injuries.
Pat Cummins will be 34 by the next Ashes and, if still captain, could match Don Bradman's record of holding the urn four times as skipper. Mitchell Starc will be 37, but his current form suggests he could still be a potent force. Josh Hazlewood (36) and Nathan Lyon (39) face greater fitness questions, though both have shown they can perform at the highest level recently.
Steve Smith, who will turn 38 shortly before the 2027 series begins, has had fluctuating form and his long-term appetite for the grind of Test cricket remains uncertain. Usman Khawaja, Scott Boland, and others are also in the twilight of their careers. Cameron Green stands as the notable exception, but the young all-rounder is under pressure to score more runs.
Despite the age profile, this Australian team has just dismantled England with ruthless efficiency. The challenge of winning in England, a prize that has eluded them for over two decades, now glows as the ultimate bauble. Whether this group of champions is drawn to that light for one last campaign will be one of the compelling stories of the next two years.
