The Trio Of Hazlewood, Cummins, Starc Might Just Be Australia's Best-Ever Pace Attack: Matthew Hayden

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden has hailed the current Australian pace trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc as potentially the greatest fast-bowling combination in the nation's cricketing history.

His comments came during the second day of the World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord's, which continues to deliver edge-of-the-seat action.

"Cummins does everything right-he challenges the off stump, uses the slope, and targets the top of the stumps, making batters play constantly. He now has over 300 Test wickets despite not bowling for five and a half years due to injury. That's extraordinary. The trio of Hazlewood, Cummins, and Starc might just be Australia's best-ever pace attack-even better than McGrath, Gillespie, and Lee-because they've bowled more together, in more combinations. Add Nathan Lyon to the mix, and it's an 'awesome foursome.' Australia did well to pull ahead despite pressure. South Africa fought back hard, making this a seesaw contest. It's been a fantastic Test match so far, and Day 3 promises more drama," said Hayden on Cricket Live On JioHotstar.

Pat Cummins, in particular, was in vintage form on Day 2, tearing through the South African lower order to finish with remarkable figures of 6 for 28. His performance not only gave Australia a crucial 74-run first-innings lead but also saw him reach the milestone of 300 Test wickets. Cummins became the eighth Australian and the 40th overall to reach the landmark, and the fifth-fastest in terms of deliveries bowled (13,725).

However, South Africa weren't ready to surrender. Kagiso Rabada, who picked up five wickets in the first innings, struck again in the second, removing Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green early. Lungi Ngidi then added to Australia's woes with three wickets, while Alex Carey's gritty 43 provided some late resistance.

Australia ended Day 2 at 144/8, leading by 218 runs. With the Lord's pitch continuing to aid seamers, the match remains delicately poised heading into Day 3.