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Pat Cummins is the world's top-ranked bowler and led the wicket-taking tallies for 2019, despite only claiming his first lbw on the fourth last day of the year.
Pat Cummins has become the world's leading wicket-taker for 2019 despite virtually playing with one less mode of dismissal than all the other bowlers.
Cummins on Saturday claimed his first lbw in Test cricket in 21 months when he trapped Henry Nicholls, ending a streak of 70 wickets without one.
It therefore marked the only one of his 59 wickets he has taken this year in that fashion, having trapped just six players lbw in his career.
"Was it? The first lbw? None in England?" Cummins responded when told of the run.
"I probably should have bowled fuller. I don't know.
"That has surprised me because we always talk about the ball hitting the bails or that sort of stuff. Thanks for that. I'll work on that."
Cummins instead has a far higher proportion of wickets taken via catches then most other bowlers thanks largely to his extra bounce and nagging line outside off stump.
Twenty-nine of his 41 wickets in 2019 were taken as catches, with his percentage of 81.3 dismissals in that mode far higher than the global average of 64 per cent.
His percentage of bowling batsmen is therefore lower than most, having skittled the stumps just 10 times in 2019.
"I feel like a lot of the wickets are caught behind the wicket and a few short balls," Cummins said. "
"I feel when the wicket's really true, it's hard to attack the stumps sometimes.
"That too is a challenge, getting the ball in a position when you can get an LBW or a bowled."
He did however note an MCG wicket offering far more pace and bounce had him bowling fuller.
Cummins took his second straight Boxing Day Test five-wicket haul with his 5-28, after also running through India last year.
And he said the Australians had made a point not to bowl as short as New Zealand had when the hosts hit 467 against them in their first innings at the MCG.
"It's a very good wicket to bowl on. It's a good contest between bat and ball," Cummins said.
"And, it feels like there's a lot in it if you get it in the right areas.
"Conditions like that are probably similar to England. You want to get it up there and you have a chance of nicks behind and lbws and bowleds.
"Upon reflection, looking at their innings, they probably didn't challenge the top of off-stump like our plans for them."
PAT CUMMINS' 2019 WICKETS:
Caught behind: 28
Caught fielder: 20
Bowled: 10
LBW: 1
