Pat Cummins broke a 62-year-old record to become Australia’s leading Test wicket-taking captain, surpassing Richie Benaud’s tally of 138 wickets. In the ongoing Test against West Indies, Cummins took two key wickets, bringing his captaincy total to 139, showcasing his dominance and leadership in the longest format.
Pat Cummins Claims Two Wickets in First Innings of Ongoing WI vs AUS Test
Australian captain Pat Cummins has etched his name in cricket history by becoming the Australian captain with the most Test wickets, surpassing Richie Benaud’s long-standing record of 138 dismissals.
Cummins achieved this milestone during the ongoing first Test between Australia and the West Indies, held in Bridgetown, Barbados, which kicked off on June 25th as part of a three-match series.
Regarded as one of the premier fast bowlers in world cricket, Cummins delivered a disciplined and effective bowling performance in the first innings, troubling the West Indies batsmen with his precise lines and lengths. He claimed two crucial wickets, dismissing Keacy Carty and Roston Chase, helping Australia keep the opposition’s scoring in check. Cummins finished with impressive figures of 2/34 from 18 overs.
With these wickets, Cummins’ tally as captain now stands at 139 in 35 matches. He maintains an impressive average of 22.84, complemented by nine five-wicket hauls and a ten-wicket match haul, underscoring his vital role as a strike bowler and leader for Australia in Test cricket.
Australian captains with most test wickets
| Player | Matches | Innings | Wickets | BBI | BBM | Average | Economy | Strike rate | 5 | 10 |
| Pat Cummins | 35 | 63 | 139 | 6/28 | 10/97 | 22.84 | 3.07 | 44.6 | 9 | 1 |
| Richard Benaud | 28 | 56 | 138 | 6/70 | 9/173 | 25.78 | 1.99 | 77.6 | 9 | 0 |
| RB Simpson | 39 | 55 | 41 | 4/45 | 4/45 | 49.68 | 2.70 | 110.2 | 0 | 0 |
| IWG Johnson | 17 | 27 | 39 | 7/44 | 8/86 | 28.10 | 2.20 | 76.4 | 1 | 0 |
| MA Noble | 15 | 24 | 31 | 7/100 | 8/140 | 24.03 | 2.17 | 66.2 | 1 | 0 |
| G Giffen | 4 | 7 | 26 | 6/155 | 8/40 | 22.34 | 2.45 | 54.5 | 3 | 0 |
| Allan Border | 93 | 59 | 24 | 7/46 | 11/96 | 40.04 | 2.29 | 104.8 | 2 | 1 |
| Greg Chappell | 48 | 48 | 23 | 3/49 | 3/49 | 29.69 | 1.92 | 92.6 | 0 | 0 |
In the opening Test between West Indies and Australia, the Pat Cummins-led side is currently ahead in the contest. After electing to bat first, Australia struggled in their first innings, being dismissed for 180 runs. However, their bowlers responded well, restricting the West Indies to 190, giving Australia a narrow 10-run lead.
In their second innings, Australia has built on this advantage and currently leads by 82 runs but has lost four wickets. At stumps on day two, the score stood at 90 for 4, with Travis Head and Beau Webster at the crease, looking to stabilize the innings.
