Cummins Lauds Australia's Winning Start to WTC Cycle After West Indies Triumph

Australian captain Pat Cummins has lauded his team's impressive beginning to the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The Australian side, a consistent presence in the WTC Finals, having reached the ultimate stage in the past two editions, have secured victories in their initial two Test matches of this cycle. This feat was achieved after a commanding series-clinching triumph over the West Indies in Grenada.

Cummins celebrates the series win against West Indies © AFP

"Winning away from home is never easy, so I'm really pleased with how we responded after the Lord's (WTC Final)," Cummins stated following the Grenada Test. "It's been a positive couple of weeks. Looking ahead to next week's pink ball Test, 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, setting us up well in the cycle, and we've played some excellent cricket."

Cummins also acknowledged the vital contributions of the team's seasoned players, particularly highlighting Steve Smith. Smith's crucial half-century in the second innings, when the team was struggling at 28/3 with a lead of just 61, proved pivotal. "I think experience plays a significant role, and we've seen the value of someone like Steve Smith returning to the side," Cummins noted. "He might not have played at Grenada, but he's played on numerous wickets where you have to adapt your scoring approach. It might not involve big drives down the ground, but rather grinding your way to a 50. I believe that comes with experience."

He further elaborated, "With experience, you've encountered similar challenges before, which brings a level of calmness that helps you navigate the situation. As a captain, it makes my job much easier knowing that I 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 struggled to make a significant impact in the series, managing only 33 runs in four innings. "Every innings can feel like the most important thing in the world," he said about Konstas. "But I think the statistic is, even the best batters in the world don't hit their average three out of four times or something like that. You're going to fail more often than you're going to succeed."

Cummins emphasized the importance of learning and improvement for young players. "As long as you're a quick learner, as long as you're moving well and giving yourself the best chance, just keep doubling down on that and judge yourself after a series or so, not innings by innings."

Another opener facing scrutiny in the series is West Indies' former captain Kraigg Brathwaite. With his recent form declining, Brathwaite's 100th Test didn't prove to be very fruitful. He has recorded scores of 4, 4, 0, and 7, prompting head coach Daren Sammy to consider his future for the next game. "He hasn't looked good this series, and in a team where you are searching for performances, you get very close to say 'okay, do we give somebody else a chance?'" Sammy said. "But we will really have a good discussion, myself, the selection group, and the captain himself, about that particular situation."

Sammy also acknowledged the need for improvements in Caribbean pitches to foster better Test batters. "It's hard to produce the quality of batters that we want to compete," he noted. "When you look at the surfaces that we play on, it's hard."

He added, "If you look at all the averages, we barely have guys averaging 40-plus in (first-class) cricket. Those type of pitches, it doesn't allow you to come up technically sound, because you're really unsure. There's always doubt. And in an ideal world, you want to see our guys perform because of, not in spite of. It's something myself, the director of cricket, the franchise system, we've looked at very, very closely in trying to change that, trying to send the head groundsmen all over, trying to get the sort of wickets that allow batters to trust their techniques and stuff like that. And we also have some probably technical deficiencies that carry on from the Under-19, the youth level up to the national team."