- June 15, 2025
Pace bowlers have captured the essence of Test cricket in all its wonderful delight. They take wickets, they disrupt momentum, they break partnerships, they create havoc for batters, they create legacies. The 2023 – 2025 World Test Championship had no shortage of this passion, whilst South Africa celebrated their first ICC title amidst all the excitement, there was a quieter race taking place right under our noses – to be the highest wicket-taker alongside three of the great pace bowlers in Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mitchell Starc.
Let’s take a look at the records and milestones of a few of these pace bowlers in the two taxing years of distinguished test cricket.
Pat Cummins: The Relentless Leader
Test cricket starts and finishes on the vigour of the willful fast bowlers. They do more than simply take wickets; they shift momentum, break vital partnerships, create havoc for batters, and leave marks in history. The World Test Championship from 2023-2025 was no different. While South Africa was jubilantly celebrating their first-ever ICC title, another ferocious contest went on quietly: the contest for most wickets, comprising three great pace bowlers, Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mitchell Starc.
Let’s have a look at how these bowlers managed to emerge from the pack to stamp their authority over two years of intense, hard-fought Test cricket.
Jasprit Bumrah: Master of the Craft
Jasprit Bumrah is the poetry of fast bowling. His short run-up, sort of slangy action, and pinpoint precision mean he strikes terror into every batter. Over the full WTC cycle, he managed the same 77 wickets as Starc but with a stunning average of 15, alongside five five-wicket hauls. He also demonstrated leadership by captaining India in some of these key fixtures and getting them very close to the final. Whenever you watch Bumrah bowl, his skill set is immense: new ball swing, old ball reverse swing, and terrifying bouncers.
It is this combination of attributes that makes Bumrah one of the most complete pace bowlers of his generation. To face Bumrah is to face relentless accuracy and constant peril – you can’t survive him comfortably!
Mitchell Starc: The Game-Changing Left-Arm Speedster
Mitchell Starc does not figure in the best of the consistency charts, but once dialed into his rhythm, he is capable of demolishing even the best batsmen batting lineups. Starc bagged 77 wickets at an average of 20.42, including 6-48 against India, whilst having some of the best batsmen in the world, take notice, as he pulled off several match-turning spells during the WTC cycle based on his raw pace and damage rate.
Starc wasted no time when he entered the WTC final – ripping through the batting to take key wickets, and he also came in handy with the bat, chipping in 58 valuable runs. While he might not be as consistently steady as Bumrah or as consistently precise as Cummins, Starc has the unique ability to change the momentum and the course of a game in one impactful 60-minute session.
WTC 2023-25 offered two back-to-back reminders of why Test cricket is a bowlers’ game. The protagonists were the same – Cummins, Bumrah, Starc – showing their differing techniques and strength to disrupt the batting – control, creativity, chaos – and all showed their champion quality on the world stage.
As we now move to the next cycle, will anyone dethrone this select trio? Let us know who your pick is!
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