Cummins Lauds Australia's Dominant Start to WTC Campaign After Series Win

Pat Cummins, the captain of the Australian cricket team, has expressed his satisfaction with his team's performance at the beginning of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. Australia, a consistent contender in the WTC, having reached the final in the previous two editions, has secured victories in their first two Test matches of this cycle. This follows their recent series-clinching triumph against the West Indies in Grenada, demonstrating their dominance on the field.

Cummins reflects on the team's strong comeback after the WTC Final loss. © AFP

"Winning away from home is never easy, so I'm really pleased with how we bounced back after Lord's (WTC Final)," Cummins commented after the Grenada Test. "It's been a good couple of weeks. With a pink ball Test coming up next week, it's great to have already secured the series. These matches always present unique challenges. It's a dream start really, two wins from two, putting us in a great position in the cycle, and we played some really good cricket."

Cummins also acknowledged the contribution of the team's experienced players, specifically highlighting Steve Smith's crucial half-century. Smith's innings played a pivotal role in rescuing the team from a precarious situation in the second innings, when they were struggling at 28/3 with a lead of just 61 runs. "I think experience is a significant factor; we talked about having someone like Steve Smith back," Cummins stated. "He might not have played at Grenada, but he's played on numerous wickets where you have to find different ways to score. It might not always be about hitting big shots down the ground; sometimes you have to grind your way to a 50, and I believe that comes with experience."

He further added, "With experience, you've encountered similar problems before, which gives you a level of calmness to navigate through them. As a captain, it makes my job easier knowing that we have a lot of experienced players in the team."

The 32-year-old captain also voiced his support for young opener Sam Konstas, who has been struggling to make a significant impact in the series, having scored only 33 runs in four innings thus far. "Every innings can feel like the most important thing in the world," he said regarding Konstas. "But the reality is, even the best batters in the world don't perform up to their average three out of four times. You're going to fail more often than you're going to succeed."

Cummins emphasized, "As long as you're learning quickly, moving well, and giving yourself the best possible chance, you just need to keep working hard and assess yourself after a series or so, rather than focusing on each individual innings."

Another opener facing scrutiny in the series is West Indies' former captain, Kraigg Brathwaite. Despite his illustrious career, Brathwaite's 100th Test did not yield the desired results. He has recorded scores of 4, 4, 0, and 7, prompting head coach Daren Sammy to consider his future in the next game. "He hasn't looked in good form this series, and in a team that is seeking strong performances, you have to consider giving someone else an opportunity," Sammy explained. "However, we will have a thorough discussion involving myself, the selection group, and the captain himself, to address this particular situation."

Sammy also pointed out the need for improvements in the Caribbean pitches to foster better batting talent in Test cricket. "It's challenging to produce high-quality batters who can compete effectively when you consider the surfaces we play on," he noted.

"When you analyze the averages, you'll find that we barely have players averaging above 40 in first-class cricket. These types of pitches make it difficult to develop technically sound players, as there is always uncertainty and doubt. Ideally, we want our players to perform because of their skills, not in spite of the conditions. This is something that myself, the director of cricket, and the franchise system have been closely examining to bring about change. We are working to send head groundsmen to various places to learn how to create wickets that allow batters to trust their techniques. We also need to address some technical deficiencies that persist from the Under-19 and youth levels up to the national team."