Pat Cummins lauds team’s resilience after New Zealand victory
In an edge-of-the-seat showdown in Christchurch, Australia sealed a remarkable three-wicket victory to finalize a 2-0 series triumph over hosts New Zealand. After the match, skipper Pat Cummins expressed his admiration for the team’s resilience, highlighting key performances that turned the tide in their favor.
Confronted with adversity at 34/4 during the chase of 279, Australia’s hopes were reignited by Mitchell Marsh (80) and Alex Carey (98*) as the duo forged a pivotal 140-run partnership. Cummins, later, contributed with a calm 32 to guide the team across the finish line, exhibiting the squad’s knack for stepping up in key situations with remarkable adaptability.
“Think the story of this series was in key moments, one guy stood up, we didn’t necessarily play the complete game, but in those pivotal moments, someone stood up and made themselves a matchwinner. [We] keep finding ways to win, it’s a pretty awesome squad,” Cummins said in the post-match presentation while reflecting on the series.
Despite a challenging third evening, Australia maintained an outstanding run rate of 4.32 in the fourth innings chase, earning praise for the resilience displayed by the Marsh-Carey pair. Carey, who faced pressure due to his recent batting struggles, emerged as a crucial contributor in this innings.
“We’ve been on the other side of it plenty of times and if the scoreboard’s not moving you feel in the game, but if they are chipping away, it seems like it’s all happening pretty quickly,” he said. “That was the goal today, be busy, keep the run rate ticking over and bit-by-bit getting closer. [It was] pretty tense. [It was] pretty nervous watching for the last couple of hours, everyone trying to keep themselves busy, then looking up at the board. Amazing win.”
The tension and nerves were palpable as spectators watched the gripping match unfold. The victory marked Australia’s sixth Test win over the summer, propelling them to the second spot in the WTC standings, just behind India. Looking ahead, Australia is set to face India at the start of the next home summer, building anticipation for another riveting cricket season.
