Darwin Test: Australia's bowling quartet set to rewrite history books
What's the story
Australian captain Pat Cummins has announced the playing XI for their first Test match against Bangladesh. The match will be held at Marrara Stadium, Darwin, where Australia last played a Test two decades ago. Cummins confirmed that fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has been selected over Scott Boland for the final spot in the team. Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon complete the bowling attack. This talismanic quartet is in line to script history in the upcoming series.
Feat
Four bowlers with 300-plus wickets each
Hazlewood is set to become the ninth Aussie bowler to complete 300 Test wickets, as per Cricinfo.
The veteran pacer, who will be playing his first Test in over a year, boasts 295 scalps from 76 Test matches at an average of 24.21.
He has picked up 13 five-wicket hauls in Australia whites.
If he manages to reach the milestone in Darwin, Australia will become the first team to field four bowlers in an XI with at least 300 Test wickets each.
Feats
Numbers of other bowlers
Having featured in 141 Tests, Lyon has taken 567 wickets at an average of 30.15, including 24 five-wicket hauls.
He currently has the sixth-most Test wickets and the highest among active players.
Starc has played 105 matches and owns 433 wickets at an average of 26.51.
He has picked 18 five-wicket hauls.
No other active player besides these two has touched the 400-wicket mark.
Meanwhile, skipper Cummins boasts 315 wickets from 72 Tests with the help of 14 fifers.
His average of 22.05 is the best in this quartet.
Milestone
When these bowlers scripted history!
In December 2022, Australia became the first team in Test history to field an attack featuring four bowlers with at least 200 Test wickets each.
The game, which took place against the West Indies in Perth, saw Cummins touch the 200-wicket mark.
Starc, Hazlewood, and Lyon featured in that affair, with each of them reaching the 200-wicket milestone beforehand.
Dominance
Dominance of Australian quartet
The Australian bowling quartet's collective impact is nothing short of extraordinary.
In the 35 matches they have played together, they have taken a whopping 567 wickets, averaging just over 16 wickets per game, as per Cricbuzz.
This is far more than any other quartet in cricket history.
The closest competition comes from Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Ben Stokes, with their combined tally of 415 wickets in 31 matches
Individual contributions
Individual contributions and team success
The individual contributions of each member of the Australian quartet are also noteworthy.
Cummins leads with 150 wickets, followed closely by Hazlewood (141), Starc (142), and Lyon (134).
Notably, Australia has a stellar win-loss ratio of 2.444 in these matches, with only nine defeats - five against India, three against South Africa, and one against West Indies at the Gabba in 2024.
The team has never lost an Ashes Test featuring all four players together.
Future prospects
Farewell looming for legendary quartet?
As three of the four members of this legendary quartet near the end of their respective careers, selectors will be looking for potential successors in the coming year.
While Starc is 36, Lyon will turn 39 this November. Hazlewood, who has been reeling with injury issues lately, is 35.
Cummins (33) is likely to be the only member of this group to play beyond the 2027 World Test Championship final.