Australia's Cummins Lauds Strong Start to World Test Championship Campaign After West Indies Series Win

Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, 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 Finals, has secured victories in their first two Test matches of this cycle, highlighted by their series-clinching triumph over the West Indies in Grenada.

Pat Cummins reflects on Australia's bounce-back after the WTC Final. © AFP

"Winning away from home is never easy, so I'm really pleased with how we recovered after Lord's (WTC Final)," Cummins stated following the Grenada Test. "It's been a productive couple of weeks. With the 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, winning two out of two, which puts us in a strong position in the cycle, and we've played some excellent cricket."

Cummins also lauded the contributions of the experienced players in the squad, specifically acknowledging 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 at 28/3, holding a lead of only 61 runs. "I think experience is a significant factor; we talked about someone like Steve Smith stepping up," Cummins noted. "He may not have played at Grenada, but he's played on many wickets where you have to find unconventional ways to score. It might not involve powerful drives down the ground, but rather grinding your way to a 50. I believe that comes with experience."

He further added, "With experience, you've likely encountered similar challenges before, giving you a sense of calmness to navigate through them. As a captain, it makes my job much easier knowing that I have a lot of seasoned 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 commented on Konstas's performance. "But statistically, even the best batters in the world don't achieve their average three out of four times. Failure is more common than success."

"As long as you're learning quickly, moving well, and giving yourself the best possible chance, you should keep focusing on that and assess yourself after a series, rather than after each innings."

Another opener facing scrutiny in the series is West Indies' former captain, Kraigg Brathwaite. Despite his illustrious career, Brathwaite's 100th Test didn't yield favorable results. His recent scores of 4, 4, 0, and 7 have prompted 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 searching for performances, you start thinking about giving someone else an opportunity," Sammy said. "We will have a thorough discussion involving myself, the selection group, and the captain himself, regarding that situation."

Sammy also acknowledged that the pitches in the Caribbean need improvement to foster better Test batters. "It's difficult to produce high-quality batters that can compete effectively," he noted. "When you look at the surfaces we play on, it's challenging."

"If you examine the averages, we barely have players averaging above 40 in (first-class) cricket. These types of pitches make it difficult to develop technically sound players because there's always uncertainty. 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 try and change, including sending head groundsmen to learn best practices and create wickets that allow batters to trust their techniques. We also have some technical deficiencies that carry on from the Under-19 level up to the national team."