Pat's performance for the ages quells Headingley demons

Pat Cummins admits the agony of the 2019 Headingley Test had played on his mind before lifting Australia to one of their greatest ever Ashes wins.

Cummins hit the winning runs in the dying minutes of the first Test at Edgbaston on Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning AEST) in what Australia's captain described as the best victory of his career.

His opposite number Ben Stokes noted the coincidence of Nathan Lyon being at the other end in the unbroken 55-run partnership that sealed the two-wicket victory, given the pair's central roles in England's even more slender victory during the Leeds Test four years ago.

"Yeah, I'd be lying if I said it didn't," Cummins said when asked if he'd had flashbacks to the match that featured seven of the Australian XI who triumphed this week.

"We've been on the other side of it last series … it's one of those ones when you're on the other side of it, really hurts (and) feels like one that got away.

"A lot of those guys were there at Headingley. So to feel like we clinched one that was out of our grasp there for a little while is pretty satisfying."

In 2019, Lyon had fumbled a run-out chance on a throw from Cummins with England needing two to win, before having an lbw appeal off Stokes turned down which would have been out on review if Australia had any to spare.

This time, it was Lyon batting and Stokes making an error, albeit a desperately difficult one-handed catch at deep square leg few in the world would have got a hand to.

Image Id: E46EAA915C7B4C06B818856B7546DF57 Image Caption: Ben Stokes spills a difficult chance off Nathan Lyon // Getty

But, with the visitors needing 37 to win, England's captain put it down and Australia's off-spinner held firm to score 16 runs, including a memorable lofted on-drive off Stuart Broad.

"I don't know what happened. I think I had my eyes closed when I hit that one," Lyon told cricket.com.au. "It came out of the middle."

The partnership between Lyon and Cummins, who also combined for 12 of the 18 England wickets to fall, came after Ollie Robinson boldly suggested England believed Australia were fielding "three numbers 11s" in Lyon, Scott Boland and Josh Hazlewood.

That assessment appeared sound after the trio made just two runs between them in the first innings with Cummins, Lyon and Boland all succumbing to short balls.

But Boland stood up as nightwatchman to survive a testing period late on day four and finished with 20 crucial second-innings runs, before Lyon and Cummins stood firm in the clutch.

"It's something we all practice," Cummins said of their lower-order batters.

"Nath puts a lot of time into it when he's back home as well, he puts a lot of time into his batting.

"Even the adjustment from the first innings when we got a couple of bumpers and everyone went out there with a clear plan."

For Cummins, it was arguably the best all-round performance of his career.

With the added burden of tactically thinking his way through England's unconventional approach with the bat, Cummins went wicketless through England's first innings but was in the thick of the action from then on.

He added 38 first-innings runs with the bat, with his tally of 82 runs for the match the most he's ever made in a Test, before a lion-hearted day-four spell.

The 30-year-old dismissed three of the hosts' top six including Ollie Pope with a searing in-swinging yorker, up there with his delivery to Joe Root at Old Trafford in 2019 as his most devastating on English soil.

Cummins, who had passed 30 with the bat just once before this match since making his second Test fifty in December, then expertly picked his moments to attack in the Test’s final session after Australia lost their last recognised batter in Alex Carey with 55 still required.

"He was pretty calm the whole time," said Lyon. "He just said, 'let's take the singles if they're there, enjoy the moment and if it's there, hit it'."

2023 Qantas Ashes Tour of the UK

First Test: Australia won by two wickets

Second Test: Wednesday June 28-Sunday July 2, Lord’s

Third Test: Thursday July 6-Monday July 10, Headingley

Fourth Test: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: Thursday July 27-Monday 31, The Oval

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood