Cummins named Australia’s best Test player in 2018

The Mt Riverview native was awarded ABC radio’s Alan McGilvray medal last week, acknowledging the dominant role he had played in Australia’s Tests last year.

Cummins claimed 44 wickets at 19.97 and made 251 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 18.

He was particularly impressive in the Boxing Day Test against India, when he took 6-27 (nine wickets for the match) and scored 63 in the second innings.

The medal honours the late Alan McGilvray, for so many years the voice of cricket on radio.

McGilvray’s son, Ross, made the presentation, praising Cummins’ “application, dedication and determination”.

Cummins famously made his debut in 2011 at the age of 18, taking man of the match honours in his first Test. But injury kept him out of the team for the next six years.

Cummins’ referred to those years in accepting the medal, which was “such a huge privilege”.

“This means so much to me. I had a tough five or six years there, so to get back out performing how I would like to, has been the biggest joy in the world to me.”