Australia win see-sawing series decider against India at SCG as Pat Cummins takes swipe at critics

Australia’s series win capped an extraordinary turnaround in fortunes, after they were hammered following their series-opening defeat in Perth. And Pat Cummins didn’t forget the barbs.

Pat Cummins has taken a veiled swipe at critics of the Australian side after his team silenced the doubters by regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and qualifying for a second straight World Test Championship final.

The Aussies completed their first Test series victory against India in a decade, clinching a six-wicket win over the tourists inside eight sessions at the SCG to ice a 3-1 series win and end a run of four straight BGT series wins for India dating back to 2017.

It also ensured Australia holds every available bilateral Test series trophy, as well as being reigning champs in the WTC and 50-over World Cup.

The win capped an extraordinary turnaround in fortunes for the Aussies, who were widely pilloried following a humbling 295-run defeat in the series opener at Perth Stadium in late November.

But the first Test proved to be the aberration of the five. Australia made the running in the following three Tests before holding their nerve to successfully chase 162 in a low-scoring shootout in Sydney.

Speaking after the win, Cummins said he had been proud of how his team had weathered the storm post-Perth to become the first Australian Test side to win a series coming back from 1-0 down since 1997.

“When you start a series behind things, a lot of things get questions. Things fairly and unfairly. But again, I think it shows a strength of the group, to kind of stay strong,” Cummins said.

Australia’scaptain Pat Cummins (L) is handed the trophy by former Australian cricketer Allan Border. Picture: AFP

“Know that we weren’t our best, but we can be better, not get caught up in a lot of the external noise and clutter, and just focus on what makes us good players and a good team. And yeah, really, that’s one of the most kind of rewarding parts of this series.”

Pressed on which elements of the criticism after Perth he had found fair and unfair, the skipper identified two areas that fell into the former category: the team’s preparation and its unity. Cummins went into the first Test without playing a Sheffield Shield match, a decision that was questioned after he failed to have a major impact on the series opener.

Talk of schism between the team’s batters and bowlers had also been floated during and after the Perth loss, with comments made in Josh Hazlewood’s press conference on night three of the Test being extrapolated by Fox commentators the following day.

“I was really happy about preparation, going to the first Test. I think if you don’t play well that gets questioned, but if you do play well, people just forget about that,” Cummins said.

What split? The Australian team pose for a photo in the dressing rooms after winning the Border-Gavaskar trophy. Picture: Getty

“I think, team unity we were always, for the most part, we’re always really good. This summer, we’ve been awesome. The group’s been really tight and very honest, and knew that we weren’t at our best. Those things play out inevitably when you lose, that happens. We weren’t at our best, that’s fair. I think overcoming that and staying strong is is easier said than done.”

Cummins stressed the importance of making another WTC final, having beaten India in the 2023 decider at The Oval. The Aussies will face South Africa in June at Lord’s this time around.

Before that they have two Tests for the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy in Sri Lanka, where Australia has not won a Test series since 2011. The first of two Tests - both in Galle - begins on January 29, although Cummins is unlikely to play any part in that series because of the impending birth of his second child.

“We’ll play it by ear but I think most likely I might struggle to get over there,” Cummins said.

Beau Webster roars in triumph after hitting the winning runs. Picture: Getty

Debutant Beau Webster roared triumphantly after driving Washington Sundar to the long off boundary to complete the win on Sunday.

Australia was aided by the absence of injured Indian talisman Jasprit Bumrah, who did not bowl at all on Sunday after heading for scans on Saturday.

Typical of what was a low-scoring Test, no Aussie reached 50 in the chase although Usman Khawaja made a proactive 41.

Steve Smith fell to Prasidh Krishna for four, leaving him one short of the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket and the Aussies precariously placed at 3-58 but Khawaja, Travis Head (34 not out) and Webster (39 not out) steadied to guide the side home in front of another capacity Sydney crowd.

Scott Boland had earlier finished with match figures of 10-76 as India lost 4-16 on Sunday morning after resuming at 6-141 in its second innings. The Victorian was named player of the match, while Bumrah earned player of the series honours after taking 32 wickets at 13.06.

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