James Pattinson spearheaded Australia to an exhilarating 122-run first Test win over India at the MCG yesterday, with a day to spare. His 4-53 was instrumental in bundling out the powerful Indian lineup for 169, chasing 292 for victory.
It was Australia’s first win over the world number two ranked sub-continent side in three years, and eight Tests.
While Dale Steyn (1), Jimmy Anderson (2), Stuart Broad (3), Morne Morkel (4), Zaheer Khan (5), and Tim Bresnan (10) are the highest-ranked fast bowlers in the world, Pattinson is one of five pace newcomers in the last seven weeks who have fired warning shots across their senior’s bows.
The debutants have produced phenomenal figures. In just 11 Tests between them they have collected one Player-of-the-Series award, and five Man-of-the-Match awards. There should have been definitely six, even seven.
South African Vernon Philander (26) is the oldest and most successful. In three Tests – two against Australia and one against Sri Lanka – Philander has taken 24 wickets at 12.37 that included 5-15, 5-49, 5-53 and 5-70.
He was Man-of-the-Match on debut, Man-of-the-Series in his second, and Man-of-the-Match in his third. There has never been a more dominant and stunning start to a Test career.
Australian Patrick Cummins (18) is the youngest and quickest of the quintet. In his one Test against South Africa at Johannesburg before he was injured, Cummins captured 1-38 and 6-79 to win the Man-of-the-Match on debut in a superb victory. And for good measure he hit the winning run with eight wickets down.
When he returns sometime next year, he can build on his 7-117, averaging 16.71.
Compatriot Pattinson (21) has played three Tests – two against New Zealand and one against India – but has claimed 20 wickets at 15.20 apiece, including 5-27, 5-51, and yesterday’s 4-53, winning the Man-of-the-Match awards in his first and third Tests.
Kiwi Doug Bracewell (21) has also played three Tests – one against Zimbabwe, and two against Australia – capturing 16 wickets at 19.35, including 5-85, and a 6-40 in the Bellerive Test that gift-wrapped the Kiwis first win on Australian soil for 26 years.
Bracewell was the obvious Man of the Match, but it went to David Warner for his unbeaten century in a losing side, voted by Channel Nine viewers for the first and very last time.
With all due respects to Warner carrying his bat, which was a magnificent performance, the Man of the Match decision was a shocker.
And the latest, South African Marchant de Lange (21). Replacing the injured Philander, he burst onto the Test scene with 7-81 on debut against Sri Lanka, dismissing the world’s number one ranked Test batsman Kumar Sangakkara for a third-ball duck.
With 1-45 in the second dig, de Lange will go into the second Test with 8-126, averaging 15.75. de Lange was well in contention for Man-of-the-Match but was pipped by Sri Lankan left-arm orthodox spinner Rangana Herath’s 4-49 and 5-79, with Sri Lanka winning by 208 runs on South African soil for the first time.
In just seven weeks, the quality quintet has taken 75 wickets in 11 Tests, averaging 15.36 – a tick under seven wickets a Test.
Nowhere in the history of 2,026 Tests have so many new pacemen made such an impact at the same time, and in so short a time. They have all played major roles for their countries.
But it’s their strike rate – the number of deliveries per wicket – that is even more impressive:
Philander 21.7, de Lange 27.2, Pattinson 29.6, Cummins 37.7, and Bracewell 37.8.
Stack those stats up against the most successful fast bowlers in history – Glenn McGrath (563 wickets – strike rate 51.9), Courtney Walsh (519 – 57.8), Kapil Dev (434 – 63.9), Sir Richard Hadlee (431 – 50.8), Shaun Pollock (421 – 57.8), and Wassie Akram’s 414 wickets, strike rate 54.6
Or the current five top-ranked quicks – Steyn’s strike rate of 39.3, Anderson 56.4, Broad 62.9, Morkel 53.9, Zaheer 57.6, and Bresnan 49.5, and the quintet has the best of the best comfortably covered.
It will be fascinating watching them in 2012 to see if they can keep up such a cracking pace.
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