As Australia gears up to defend their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) title against South Africa at Lord’s from June 11, two key players captain Pat Cummins and opener Usman Khawaja are on the brink of significant personal achievements.
Australia aims to become the first team ever to retain the WTC mace, having won the 2023 final against India. For that to happen, the side will rely heavily on Cummins to deliver with the ball and Khawaja to provide stable starts at the top of the order against a formidable South African batting lineup, featuring stars like Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, and Ryan Rickelton.
Khawaja Nears 6,000 Test Runs
Khawaja has been Australia’s most consistent batter in the current WTC cycle, amassing 1,422 runs in 19 Tests (37 innings) at an average of 41.82, with two centuries and six fifties. Overall in his Test career, Khawaja has scored 5,930 runs in 80 Tests at an average of 45.61, with 16 centuries and 27 fifties, and a career-best of 232. He now needs just 70 runs to reach the 6,000-run mark, a feat that would further cement his legacy as one of Australia’s premier red-ball batters.
Khawaja ranks 16th on Australia’s all-time Test run-scorers list and stands out as the fifth-highest run-scorer across all WTC cycles since 2019. Within the Australian camp, only Marnus Labuschagne (4,186 runs) and Steve Smith (4,072 runs) have scored more in the WTC era.
In total, Khawaja has recorded 3,165 runs in 39 WTC Tests at an average of 48.69, including eight centuries and 13 fifties.
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Cummins Set to Join the 300-Wicket Club
Meanwhile, skipper Pat Cummins is just six wickets away from reaching 300 Test wickets, a milestone that would make him only the eighth Australian and sixth Aussie pacer to reach that mark. So far, Cummins has taken 294 wickets in 67 Tests at an impressive average of 22.43, with 13 five-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket match hauls. His career-best figures stand at 6/23.
In the current WTC cycle, Cummins has claimed 73 wickets in 17 Tests at an average slightly above 24, including five five-wicket hauls. He’s second only to India’s Jasprit Bumrah, who leads the chart with 77 wickets in 15 Tests at a staggering average of 15.09.
Across all WTC cycles since its inception in 2019, Cummins ranks as the second-highest wicket-taker with 200 scalps at 22.63, behind only Nathan Lyon, who has 210 wickets in 50 Tests at 26.85.
As Australia prepares for the “Ultimate Test” at Lord’s, these individual milestones could serve as key motivators for two of their biggest stars in their bid for back-to-back WTC titles.
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