Pat Cummins Becomes 4th Player To Win Johnny Mullagh Medal; Here Are The First Three Recipients
The year 2023 has been phenomenal for the Australian cricket team under the leadership of Cummins.
Pakistan Tour Of Australia, 2023-24: The Boxing Day Test match between Australia and Pakistan concluded on Friday with the home side winning the match by 79 runs.
With the win, Australia also wrapped up the Test series with one match still to be played. It was the skipper Pat Cummins who shone with the ball in hand as he picked up a five-wicket haul in both the innings to take his team home.
The Australian captain was also adjudged the 'Player of the Match' for his fantastic performance.
Along with the Player of the Match award, the Australia captain was also awarded the prestigious Johnny Mullagh Medal - a medal which is awarded to the best player in the Boxing Day Test match. The medal adds to the list of coveted awards which Pat Cummins has won in the year 2023.
The year 2023 has been phenomenal for the Australian cricket team under the leadership of Cummins. They became the WTC Champions, retained the Ashes (Test series vs England) and most recently conquered the ODI format after being crowned the ODI World Cup Champions for the sixth time.
And after getting the Mullagh Medal, Pat Cummins has ensured that he will end this fabulous year on another high. So let's find out more about this medal and who else has won it before Pat Cummins.
Players Who Have Won Johnny Mullagh Medal
Pat Cummins became the 4th recipient of this prestigious Mullagh Medal. Before the Australian captain, the Mullagh Medal was awarded to the following three players - David Warner, Scott Boland and Ajinkya Rahane.
India's Ajinkya Rahane was the first recipient of the award when he received it on December 29, 2020, after winning the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne against Australia by eight wickets.
He was captaining the Indian side and had also scored a brilliant century which led to him being awarded the Man of the Match award as well.
Australia's Scott Boland was the second recipient of the unique medal for his contribution with the ball where Australia beat England by an innings and 14 runs during the Test series in 2021.
Boland's figures of 6/7 in 4 overs in the second innings dismantled the England batting line up. They were bundled out for just 68 runs.
In 2022, it was Australia's David Warner who became the third recipient of the Mullagh Medal after scoring a double-century in his 100th Test match of his career in which Australia won against South Africa by an innings and 182 runs.
What Is The Mullagh Medal?
The Johnny Mullagh Medal is awarded to the Player of the Match in the iconic Boxing Day Test in tribute to the leader of the 1868 Aboriginal tour to the UK - Johnny Mullagh.
Who Was Johnny Mullagh?
Johnny Mullagh, a Jardwadjali man from Western Victoria whose real name was Unaarrimin, starred for the 1868 Aboriginal XI during their tour of England when they became the first sporting team from Australia to tour internationally.
He was a skilful all-rounder who was inducted into the Austrlian Cricket Hall Of Fame in December 2020.
As per ESPNCricinfo, he played 45 of the 47 matches during the England tour in 1868. He went on to score 1698 runs at an average of 23.65 and took 245 wickets at only 10 apiece.
