Pat Cummins’ 6-for Glory: The Best Bowling Show by a Test Captain? Let’s Break It Down

Cricket lovers adore statistics—but while all stats are great, we love, even more, drama, dominance, and moments that define greatness. And if you have been watching the recent World Test Championship final, you know that Pat Cummins delivered one of those moments. Six wickets for just 28 runs at Lord’s—in front of the whole cricket world, and against one of the fiercest teams. Of course, this raises the inevitable question: was that the best-ever bowling performance by a Test captain?

So, let’s take a look and see where Cummins’ performance sits in cricket’s long history of captains leading with the ball in hand.

A Lord’s Masterclass to Remember

Let’s start with the stage. This is not any Test, this is the WTC final. And this is not any pitch, this is the Lord’s. Pat Cummins, in addition to being the captain and strike bowler (probably with all of Australia’s hope resting on him), made light work of the South African batting lineup while exhibiting steely determination.

How did he end up? 6 for 28. Brutal, elegant (among bowlers), and clinical.

But here’s where it gets juicy: those are the best bowling figures recorded by any captain in any of the 147 Tests played at Lord’s. Yes, better than Bob Willis’ 6/101 in 1982. Cummins was not just great with the ball last night; he recorded his name in the history of Lord’s with a blistering spell that dripped with both control and intimidation.

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Is It the Best Ever by a Captain?

Now for the million-dollar question: Is it the best Test bowling performance by a captain? Short answer: no. But it’s right up there.

The record holder on this exclusive list is India’s Kapil Dev, who took a ridiculous 9 for 83 against the West Indies in Ahmedabad, way back in 1983. That’s the gold standard.

Cummins comes in at number four on the list of Australian captains. Who is ahead of him?

Ian Johnson – 7/44 vs West Indies, 1955

Allan Border – 7/46 vs West Indies, 1989 (yes, the batter!)

Monty Noble – 7/100 vs England, 1904

Now that’s some old-fashioned company! Which helps put Cummins’ performance into context. Also, worth noting, he challenged a higher level of opposition, match pressure, and conditions that raw stats do not factor in.

Leading with the Ball: A Rarity in Modern Cricket

Here’s an added layer to this: captains are typically not bowlers either. In today’s game (especially in the longer formats), the demands of the captaincy often force bowlers to relinquish that leadership role entirely. Fast bowling captain? About as rare as a unicorn. This is what makes Cummins’ ascent so palpable.

He’s not just managing the two elements of leadership vs performance, he is succeeding in both. And this Lord’s Test is proof that he – and especially his bowling – does not need to rely on the motivational speeches alone.

It should be noted that this was the South Africa side that scraped; however, Cummins Sunday casually obliterated them without bowling a perfect delivery – just a back-of-a-length seamer with sideways late movement, cool field placements, thus all the captaincy, planning, and strategies were of importance, and considered with every delivery.

So, does Pat Cummins possess the best Test bowling records by a captain? No, technically, but if we consider significance, event, and therefore execution, maybe his 6/28 @ Lords is one of the more iconic events.

Who do you think is the greatest bowling captain of all time—and should Cummins be in the mix now? Let us know below.