Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, reached the milestone of 500 international wickets during the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India. The Sydney Cricket Ground gave him a warm applause after his exceptional captaincy and superb bowling performance.
Although facing a struggling Indian batting lineup, Cummins maintained pressure on the top order, earning his wickets at the tail end. He took two wickets in the first innings, dismissing Washington Sundar and Jasprit Bumrah, finishing with figures of 2/37 in his 15.2-over spell.
By taking these wickets, Cummins became the seventh Australian cricketer to achieve 500 international wickets. With 500 wickets in 214 matches, his bowling average stands at 24.45 and his economy rate is 3.76. Among Australians, only the legendary Glenn McGrath, who averaged 21.75 over 948 wickets from 375 matches, has a better average.
Cummins joins the elite list of Australians who have taken 500 international wickets, including Shane Warne (999), McGrath (948), Brett Lee (718), Mitchell Starc (699), Mitchell Johnson (590), and Nathan Lyon (569).
In Test cricket, Cummins has played 66 matches, taking 289 wickets at an average of 22.54 and a strike rate of 46.4. In ODIs, he has appeared in 90 matches, claiming 143 wickets at an average of 28.78 and a strike rate of 32.7. In T20Is, Cummins has 66 wickets in 57 games, with an average of 23.57 and a strike rate of 19.0.
In the current Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Cummins has taken 22 wickets, making him the second-highest wicket-taker in the series. The top spot belongs to India’s Jasprit Bumrah, who has claimed 31 wickets across five Tests at an average of 12.65.
