Australia dominated Day 1 of fifth Test vs India at Sydney Cricket Ground.© AFP
Australia captain Pat Cummins entered the 500 international wickets club after another effective display with the ball in the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India. The Sydney Cricket Ground bowed to Cummins after the Australian skipper took the spotlight with his faultless captaincy and stunning bowling display. While up against a struggling Indian batting unit, Cummins kept the pressure on the top order but found his reward in the tail end. Washington Sundar and Jasprit Bumrah were his two victims in the first innings as he returned with figures of 2/37 in his 15.2 over spell.
With another clinical performance, Cummins entered the 500 international wickets club, becoming the seventh Australian to achieve the feat.
In 214 matches, Cummins has 500 wickets to his name at an average of 24.45 and an economy of 3.76. Among all the Australians, the 31-year-old’s average is only bettered by legendary Glenn McGrath, who averaged 21.75 for his 948 scalps in 375 appearances.
Cummins joins the elite list of Australians who took 500 international wickets in their career, featuring Shane Warner (999), McGrath (948), Brett Lee (718), Mitchell Starc (699), Mitchell Johnson (590) and Nathan Lyon (569).
In the longest format of cricket, Cummins has made 66 appearances and scythed 289 wickets, averaging 22.54 while striking at 46.4. In ODIs, Cummins has featured for Australia 90 times and boasts 143 scalps with an average of 28.78 while striking at 32.7. In T20Is, Cummins has 66 wickets in 57 matches at an average of 23.57 with a strike rate of 19.0.
In the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Cummins is the second-highest wicket-taker in the series, with 22 wickets to his name. His tally is only behind India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. The stand-in Indian skipper boasts a whopping 31 wickets in five Tests at an average of 12.65.
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