Pat Cummins rises above the ordinary

Whether he was emerging as a prodigy in Penrith or throwing the Australian Test team on his back, this fast bowler has always been cut from a different cloth.

Now his rapid rise amidst a dearth of experience in the Australian side has seen him thrust into the vice-captaincy role for the Sri Lankan Test series, which draws to a close at Manuka Oval from Friday.

It is a role he never envisioned for himself - all the tearaway quick wanted to do growing up was bowl fast - but one he and Travis Head were forced to take on when Josh Hazlewood went down injured and Mitchell Marsh was dropped.

The rapid turnover in leadership roles has seen Australian skipper Tim Paine and coach Justin Langer challenge their squad - whether you're superstar quick Cummins or rookie batsman Marcus Harris, everyone has to scale greater heights.

"In junior cricket you always captain or vice-captain different sides but I literally haven’t been in a formal leadership role since about under 15s," Cummins told The Canberra Times.

"You always dream as a kid to play for Australia, but I never really thought of a leadership role. It’s worked pretty well so far for Heady and I, he got his highest score and I got my best bowling figures.

"It’s nice to have that title, it’s something we’ve challenged the whole group with, for everyone to become leaders. Whether it’s a formal title or informal, when you go back to your states you are naturally a leader.

"We’re trying to get the best out of everyone from that perspective. It’s a bit of a different role for me, having the vice-captaincy, but it really doesn’t change too much at all."

Cummins' potential has been clear since the day the Penrith prodigy burst onto the scene for NSW.

An Australian debut fittingly followed soon after for the 18-year-old phenomenon, but the momentum came to grinding halt as a nightmare injury run put Cummins' blossoming international career on hold.

The now 25-year-old's eventual return to the national side provides more than a glimmer of hope, and this summer his freakish ability has put him on a pedestal above some of the game's greats.

His bowling record after 19 Tests is better than former fast bowling spearheads Dennis Lillee, Mitchell Johnson, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, and Craig McDermott. Throw in spin kings Shane Warne and Nathan Lyon for good measure.

A 10-wicket haul in the opening Test against Sri Lanka lifted him to No. 3 in the world rankings and took his record to 24 wickets at a remarkable 18.79 this season.

A Test match in the capital has effectively brought Cummins full circle in the most superb season of his career after he suited up for the ACT/NSW Country Comets at the humble surrounds of Chisholm Oval in October.

"It’s been a bit of a different summer in that it felt like in some games I bowled well and didn’t really get that reward," Cummins said.

"Then there has been two big games where I just happened to get a couple of bags of wickets, so I can't really put my finger on one thing.

"As a bowler, when you’re feeling like the conditions suit, you’ve really got to try to cash in. I’m glad, especially when the conditions suited in Brisbane, I felt like I was bowling as well as I have for a while, and luckily got 10 wickets."