Pat Cummins Becomes No.1 Test Bowler, First Australian Since Glenn McGrath

Pat Cummins became the number one-ranked Test bowler in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings on Sunday, first Australian cricketer since Glenn McGrath in 2006. Fast bowler Pat Cummins was the most consistent bowler for Australia in their clean sweep victory against the visiting Sri Lankan Test team. The 25-year-old right-arm pacer claimed 14 wickets, including a six-wicket haul, in the two-match Test series. Achieving the rare feat after 13 years, Australian pacer Cummins surpassed South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, who finished 3/145 in the first Test against Sri Lanka. 

Rabada, despite having claimed three wickets in Durban, dropped to third position as England's James Anderson sealed the second spot in the ICC Test bowlers rankings.

World's highest wicket-taking Test bowler Anderson picked up 10 wickets in a recently concluded three-match Test series against the Windies, which England lost 1-2.

Bowling legend McGrath was the last Australian to be ranked number one in the ICC rankings in February 2006. Former fast bowler Mitchell Johnson had come closest to McGrath reaching number two in 2009.

In November, Cummins was bestowed with the Allan Border Medal, Australia's highest cricketing honour.

The award has been won by Steve Smith and David Warner two times each over the previous four years. Both Smith and Warner are serving one-year bans for their roles in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in March last year.

Cummins narrowly won the medal with 156 votes, beating Nathan Lyon with 150 and Aaron Finch with 146. 

Cummins is the third bowler, after McGrath and Johnson, to win the award in the past two decades.

Topics mentioned in this article

Australia Cricket Team Pat Cummins Cricket Glenn McGrath