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Australian captain Pat Cummins believes the 2023 ODI World Cup final triumph over India would be "hard to top", and winning consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) crowns would be a significant reflection of Australia's dominance over the past four years.
Pat Cummins led Australia to their sixth ODI World Cup title after beating hosts India in the final of the 2023 World Cup in Ahmedabad and to their maiden WTC title in the same year. He is also leading Aussie to their second WTC Final scheduled on June 11 against South Africa. "The ODI World Cup of 2023 is going to be hard to top, that's number one for me. Having two maces is a really significant thing to show for that period of time - we feel like we have been the best team in the world across all different conditions and to hold the mace at the end of that would be a great sign of something to point to now but also down the track, " Pat Cummins said as quoted from Cricket.com.au. "The last four years or so have been hugely successful for this group, and it's been such a great chunk of our careers for players and staff," the 32-year-old said. "But I do believe the (World Test Championship) mace is just below that in terms of you're up against every other team in the world and you've been successful for a couple of years to make the final, so the mace means a lot," Cummins said. Australia hasn't lost a Test series in the past two years, winning away in New Zealand and Sri Lanka while retaining the Ashes in England in 2023. They also defeated Pakistan and India at home, along with a draw against the West Indies, to secure a spot in the WTC decider against the Proteas. Cummins acknowledged that success is a team effort, highlighting the contributions of not just the players but also the staff who have worked hard over time. He emphasised the collective effort behind the team's achievements. "It takes a whole army, really. There have been 15-plus players who have played in (the team), but the staff as well who worked hard over that period," he added. "You need players across different conditions, different injuries, and the pleasing thing as well is we've had quite a few debutants in this cycle who have stepped up and really made a name for themselves," the Australian said. The Aussie skipper also praised Alex Carey for his innings at Christchurch, and he acknowledged the MCG win over India as one of the great Test matches. "The Christchurch victory, with Alex Carey getting 98 not out, we had no right to win that match, but we found a way. And last summer, the MCG was one of the great Test matches - late on day five, out of nowhere, we found a way of winning. When the moments get tense, yeah, there's a real want for players to stand up and a real trust from others that they will," he added. (ANI)
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