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Australia's Bowling Quartet: Cummins, Hazlewood, Lyon, and Starc Reach Historic 600 Test Wickets

Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon have achieved a landmark in cricket history by becoming the first bowling group to take over 600 wickets together in Test matches, hitting 602 during a match in Durban.

This Australian attack has been remarkably balanced, sharing wickets almost equally across 38 Tests. Their presence on the field significantly improves Australia's chances of winning.

During the first innings at Kingsmead against South Africa, the quartet bowled out the hosts for 284 runs, with each taking at least two wickets.

Setting a New Standard Beyond Legends

This group transcends the usual greatness found in Test cricket. Their milestone of 602 wickets in 38 Tests stands as the highest combined wicket tally by any bowling quartet in Test history.

For comparison:

  • Cummins, Hazlewood, Lyon, Starc (Australia): 38 Tests, 602 wickets
  • Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ben Stokes (England): 34 Tests, 433 wickets
  • Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini, Nicky Boje, Shaun Pollock (South Africa): 29 Tests, 341 wickets
  • Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Carl Hooper, Ian Bishop (West Indies): 25 Tests, 297 wickets
  • Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee (Australia): 16 Tests, 284 wickets

The famous Australian group with McGrath and Warne amassed fewer wickets but in far fewer matches, showing how difficult it is to keep four frontline bowlers fit simultaneously.

Individual Contributions Within the Quartet

The 602 wickets are split nearly evenly:

  • Pat Cummins: 158 wickets (26.2%)
  • Mitchell Starc: 155 wickets (25.7%)
  • Josh Hazlewood: 150 wickets (24.9%)
  • Nathan Lyon: 139 wickets (23.1%)

The balance arises from their varied bowling styles. Cummins brings fast pace targeting the off stump, Starc swings left-arm with sharp yorkers, Hazlewood maintains a precise seam length, and Lyon offers off-spin with bounce and overspin. Batsmen face different challenges from each bowler, maintaining constant pressure.

At Kingsmead, South Africa’s innings illustrated this well. Nine out of ten wickets were claimed by the quartet. Cummins took 3 for 54, Starc 2 for 63, Hazlewood 2 for 54, and Lyon 2 for 58, with Lyon bowling 22 overs to restrict scoring.

Impact on Australia's Performance

Although the four have played only about a quarter of Australia’s Tests since 2011 together, their effect is clear. When all four are present, Australia's win rate rises to 62.2% compared to 53.8% when one or more are missing. Losses slightly decrease and draws drop sharply, suggesting this attack can regularly bowl teams out twice.

Career Overview of the Quartet

  • Pat Cummins: Right-arm fast (Captain), 73 Tests, 325 wickets, 21.88 average, best innings 6/23
  • Mitchell Starc: Left-arm fast, 98 Tests, 445 wickets, 26.16 average, best innings 7/58
  • Josh Hazlewood: Right-arm fast-medium, 76 Tests, 295 wickets, 24.22 average, best innings 6/67
  • Nathan Lyon: Right-arm off-spin, 136 Tests, 571 wickets, 30.21 average, best innings 8/50

Their ages may no longer be young, yet they continue to perform at levels many rivals find tough to match.

Australia will want to manage their workload carefully, as the team clearly excels when all four bowlers are part of the playing eleven. The 600-wicket achievement might just be the beginning of their record-breaking journey.

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