Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins has impressed at large of late and 2019 was a feather in his cap. He has just grown in the game so quickly and the focus has been terrific. Pat Cummins has enjoyed being a part of a strong Aussie bowling set-up and that has helped him further to get more shape in his bowling. The Aussie pacer is a complete bowler just like India’s Virat Kohli with the bat across formats. No wonder, the in-form Cummins is rated so highly in the game and he is backed by many to shine further.
The 26-year-old Aussie Pat Cummins’s international career had the best year amongst bowlers in cricket. He finished with an astounding 99 international wickets in the game. And that was 22 ahead of India’s right-arm pacer Mohammed Shami, who ended up with 77 wickets this year. That’s a massive difference in numbers to highlight the kind of year the Australian fast bowler had.
Pat Cummins will be hoping to transfer the form in 2o2o and things could start well for the pacer in the upcoming third Test against New Zealand at the SCG. The year 2020 will be crucial for all the teams with the ICC World T2o on offer. Besides this series, there are also some major Test series on offer which is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2019-21.
So if Australia is to keep up with the momentum in both the formats, Cummins will need to be in the thick of things.
Earlier this month, the Australian powerhouse stole the thunder in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction 2020. Cummins was always supposed to be in high demands but the bidding war which saw franchises get engaged, saw Cummins go for a deal beyond expectations. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) came in and stole the pacer for a massive Rs 15.50 crore making him the costliest foreigner ever across IPL auctions.
Recently, Australian head coach Justin Langer praised the bowler and said he is the sort of person any team will want to have.
Here we look at the stats of Cummins in a high productive 2019 and what set him apart from the rest.
Pat Cummins impact on Test Cricket
The Aussie speedster has been quite the force in the longest format of late. He had a tremendous year in 2018 after claiming 44 wickets in just eight Test matches at 19.97. He was Australia’s second-highest wicket-taker and overall the sixth-highest as well. And in 2019, he took the game to another level.
The pacer claimed a stunning 59 scalps in the format in 12 matches. He averaged 20.13 with the ball and notched the best figures of 6/23. To add to that, he also claimed two five-wicket hauls.
Notably, the next best bowler this year was Australian spinner Nathan Lyon (45 wickets). And Mitchell Starc too finished the year with 43 scalps to show how the Aussies dictated the show in the longest format besides Team India.
Having said that, Pat Cummins was at his absolute best in the Ashes 2019. Australia retained the urn after a 2-2 series result. In the drawn Ashes series, the right-arm bowler ended up claiming a total of 29 wickets. The leader of the bowling pack averaged 19.62 in the series with the best of 4/32. He worked hard tirelessly and showed his magic across the five Tests to be the main force.
And then against Asian sides Sri Lanka and Pakistan at home, Cummins stepped up. Against Lanka in the series held earlier in 2019, he claimed 14 wickets in the series to help Aussies thump the islanders. And then against a sorry Pakistan side, he stood tall and delivered with eight scalps in the two Tests.
In the ongoing Tests against New Zealand. the pacer claimed a fifer in the MCG Test to help Australia seal the series 2-0. Overall in the one-sided Test series, Cummins has taken eight scalps to bring in that desired level of consistency.
Test cricket has been Pat Cummins’ forte and going forward, he will aim to excel on a similar note and produce the fireworks. He ended 2019 as the number one ranked Test bowler in the world.
Brilliant Cummins stood up in limited-overs cricket as well
Besides being a red-ball cricket hero, the bowler has had an effect in limited-overs cricket as well. 2019 saw him play a pivotal role in the game for Australia. Overall, Cummins claimed 40 wickets in white-ball cricket. Like Test cricket, Cummins also ended as the highest ODI wicket-taker for Australia as well.
He claimed 32 scalps in ODIs at an average of 21.61 with the ball with the best of 5/70.
Notably, Pat Cummins played a crucial supporting role in the side during the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales. He needs up with 14 wickets in the series that was dominated largely by left-arm pacer Starc (27 scalps). Overall, he was the seventh-highest wicket-taker in ODIs in 2019.
And then in T20Is, he took nine T20I scalps in 2019.
When he looks back at the year, no wonder the paceman will be proud of his efforts. And to have a positive influence on the team will please him even further. Australia had a strong 2019 across formats and they will thank Pat Cummins for the services he offered.
However, 2020 will be pivotal and the Aussies need the number one Test bowler to continue with his form.