That player was Pat Cummins and he was more than happy to oblige, acknowledging the boisterous support with a few waves, thumbs-ups and a smile.

Cummins is an upbeat and accommodating character even when the chips are down, as they've so often been with him physically, so to be back where he wants to be, bowling for Australia and fast, it's not only the punters behind the fence causing him to grin.

A couple of hours later he would crown his latest international comeback with 4-41, the best return of his 20-match one-day international career, and aside from his celebrated one and only Test in Johannesburg in 2011, his best figures for Australia in any match.

In a straightforward Australian victory over New Zealand, what was of as much interest as the 23-year-old's numbers on Canberra's scoreboard, though, were the ones being recorded by the speed gun and flashed on the television broadcast.

Cummins regularly hit the 150km/h mark and the cross-seam gem ordered expertly by captain Steve Smith and that finished off New Zealand's danger man Martin Guptill was recorded at 148.6km/h.

There is nothing quite like a fast bowler with sheer pace to get opposition batsmen hopping and crowds swelling. It was that attribute, and the mark he had made on Test debut at the age of 18 the previous November, that made Cummins the talk of Lord's in the last week of June 2012 when Australia arrived at the 'home of cricket' for the first of five ODIs against England. The egg and bacon brigade wanted to see what all the fuss was about and, while they at least got to see him send down the full 10 overs, albeit holding himself back in his return from a heel injury, he would end up sustaining a side strain and be sent home days after the game.

Unfortunately, the series of other injuries that have interrupted his career have limited his output for Australia, but there remains an excitement and fascination in witnessing Cummins bowl that few others can inspire.

"I was unfortunate enough to face those balls in the nets," Australian vice-captain David Warner said. "For Patty it's just great to see him back on the park again. He's been working his backside off to get fit and ready.

"He's had the misfortune of a couple of injuries that have sidelined him for big amounts of time. He's just pumped to be back in the green and gold. I'm stoked for him."

Whether selectors will rest one of the Australian fast bowlers for Friday's final ODI at the MCG is yet to be confirmed. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Cummins all travelled from Canberra to Melbourne and, while the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy has been retained and there is a Test series starting against Pakistan next Thursday, no more than one could conceivably be rested without changes to the 13-man squad.

Beyond Melbourne Cummins will return to the more low-key setting of the Futures League and the like, viewed by more than a million less people and where there is no radar in sight, before resuming with champions Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League.

The calls for him to be rushed back into the Test side will continue with each performance like Tuesday night's, but unless Cricket Australia toss their rule book – and arguably sense as well – to the wind, that is not realistic.

There have been a lot of mistakes made in Australian cricket, but the way the administration has stuck by Cummins, retaining him on a national contract even when he has been on a long injury hiatus, has been admirable. There may be other fast bowlers around the country who wouldn't agree, but he is unquestionably a special talent worth the investment.

If he can get some first-class cricket under his belt later this season and into the next one, he may have England talking about him again in the Ashes.