Pat Cummins’s captaincy was on full display in the WTC final, where he surpassed Richie Benaud’s record for dismissing opposition captains in Test cricket. Cummins dismissed Temba Bavuma, taking his tally to 19 dismissals of opposition skippers, while Benaud had 18. The Australian team, under Cummins’s leadership, built a substantial lead over South Africa. Despite some early setbacks, with Australia at 73/7 at one point, partnerships from Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc helped them recover. By the end of Day 2, Australia had reached 144/8, with South Africa still in the contest.