It seemed like Pat Cummins would vanish quickly, like many other fast bowlers, due to constant injuries.
But here he is, leading Australia’s pace attack from the front. He lost crucial years to injuries, but he made up for it with his consistent performance since his return.
And this article glances at Pat Cummins’ year-wise bowling performance in Tests.
Pat Cummins Test Wickets Year by Year
| Year | Inns | Wkts | BBI | Avg | Econ | SR | 5W/10W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2 | 7 | 6/79 | 16.71 | 2.66 | 37.71 | 1/0 |
| 2017 | 14 | 29 | 4/106 | 29.79 | 2.92 | 61.17 | 0/0 |
| 2018 | 16 | 44 | 6/27 | 19.98 | 2.80 | 42.84 | 2/0 |
| 2019 | 23 | 59 | 6/23 | 20.14 | 2.70 | 44.75 | 2/1 |
| 2020 | 6 | 14 | 4/21 | 17.43 | 2.53 | 41.36 | 0/0 |
| 2021 | 8 | 21 | 5/38 | 18.76 | 2.51 | 44.81 | 1/0 |
| 2022 | 17 | 36 | 5/42 | 21.83 | 2.66 | 49.33 | 2/0 |
| 2023 | 19 | 42 | 6/91 | 27.50 | 3.61 | 45.74 | 3/1 |
| 2024 | 18 | 37 | 5/57 | 24.03 | 3.22 | 44.70 | 2/0 |
| 2025 | 11 | 26 | 6/28 | 16.54 | 2.70 | 36.81 | 1/0 |
| 2026 | 3 | 7 | 3/10 | 15.71 | 2.34 | 40.29 | 0/0 |
| Overall | 137 | 322 | 6/23 | 21.91 | 2.89 | 45.57 | 14/2 |
Key Insights on Pat Cummins’ Test Wickets by Year
Cummins’ Debut Performance and Injury Recovery Milestones
Pat Cummins had a remarkable start to his Test career. He picked up a seven-wicket haul against South Africa in the 2011 Johannesburg Test.
That seven-for included 6 for 79 in the second innings. This is the fifth-best figure by an Australian debutant in an away Test.
This dream start didn’t last long, as Cummins was out of the Test side for over five years with constant injuries.
But then he was back in action in early 2017. On his return, the right-arm pacer claimed 29 wickets in 14 innings.
Cummins was the third-highest wicket-taker for Australia in 2017. But his bowling average of 29.79 was the worst (minimum 10 innings), while his strike rate of 61.17 was the second-highest (minimum 500 balls bowled) among Australian bowlers in 2017.
Cummins’ Peak Years and Record Wicket-Taking Sprees
Cummins picked up 44 wickets in 16 innings in 2018, the second-most by an Australian and the sixth-most among all bowlers that year.
Cummins’ tally included two five-wicket hauls, the joint most for Australia in 2018 in Tests.
He also had the lowest bowling average and the lowest strike rate among Australian bowlers in 2018, conceding 19.97 runs (minimum 10 innings) and bowling 42.84 balls per wicket (minimum 1000 balls bowled).
The right-arm pacer carried his form into 2019, taking 59 wickets in 23 innings, the best year in his career.
Cummins’ 59 wickets were also the most by any bowler in 2019.
Cummins also picked up his best bowling figures in an innings and in a match at the start of 2019.
He returned 4 for 39 and 6 for 23 to have combined match figures of 10 for 62 against Sri Lanka in the 2019 Brisbane Test.
The 6 for 23 in the second innings of the 2019 Brisbane Test is his best bowling figures in an innings.
Cummins’ bowling average of 20.13 (minimum 10 innings) and bowling strike rate of 44.74 (minimum 1000 balls bowled) were the sixth-best by any bowler in 2019.
Cummins’ Performance in WTC Cycles and Pandemic Era
2020 and 2021 were rather quiet years due to COVID-19. Despite that, Cummins was Australia’s top wicket-taker, with 35 scalps in 14 innings.
Cummins was also the second-highest wicket-taker in the 2019-21 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. He claimed 70 wickets in 28 innings.
The right-arm pacer was the joint fourth-highest wicket-taker in 2022. He picked up 36 wickets in 17 innings.
His two five-wicket hauls were the joint third most by any bowler in 2022.
Cummins had the second-best bowling average of 21.83 (minimum 10 innings) and the best strike rate of 49.33 (minimum 1000 balls bowled) for Australia in 2022.
Cummins occupied the second spot on the wickets chart in 2023, with 42 scalps and three five-wicket hauls in 19 innings.
Cummins finished the 2021-23 WTC cycle with 57 wickets in 27 innings, the fifth-most by a bowler in this edition.
Cummins’ Recent Test Form
He topped the wickets chart for Australia in 2024, with 37 wickets in 18 innings.
His bowling average of 24.02 (minimum 10 innings) was the third-best and his bowling strike rate of 44.70 (minimum 1000) was the second-best for Australia in 2024.
Cummins missed a fair number of games in 2025 due to injury. But his tally of 26 wickets was still the fourth-highest for Australia in 2025.
He had the second-lowest bowling average of 16.53 (minimum 10 innings) and the fifth-lowest bowling strike rate of 36.80 (minimum 900 balls bowled) among all bowlers in 2025.
Cummins wrapped up the 2023-25 WTC cycle with 80 wickets and six five-wicket hauls, the most by any bowler in this edition.
Cummins is among the top five wicket-takers in Tests since 2020. He is also among the top three wicket-takers in the WTC.
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