'A whole army': Cummins credits team culture as Australia eye Test Mace at Lord's
As Australia prepares for a shot at winning back-to-back World Test Championship (WTC) titles, skipper Pat Cummins believes it's not just individual brilliance but collective resilience that has defined his side's success over the last two years.
With the final set to take place at the historic Lord's Cricket Ground against South Africa, Cummins is clear-eyed about what's brought his team this far: trust, composure, and a belief in shared responsibility.
'It takes a whole army really,' Cummins told cricket.com.au, acknowledging the efforts of not just the 15-plus players who have featured in this WTC cycle, but also the backroom staff. 'There's a real trust and calmness in the group that comes from having success over the last couple of years.'
"You need players across different conditions, different injuries, and the pleasing thing as well is we've had quite a few debutants in this cycle who have stepped up and really made a name for themselves. There's a real trust and calmness in the group that comes from having success over the last couple of years. The Christchurch victory, with Alex Carey getting 98 not out, we had no right to win that match, but we found a way. And last summer, the MCG was one of the great Test matches – late on day five, out of nowhere, we found a way of winning.
"When the moments get tense yeah there's a real want for players to stand up and a real trust from others that they will."
Australia's unbeaten run in Test series over this cycle includes away victories in Sri Lanka and New Zealand, the retention of the Ashes in England, and home series wins against Pakistan and India. These results have set up a golden chance to make history: no team has yet defended the WTC mace.
While Cummins ranks the 2023 ODI World Cup win in India as his 'number one' achievement, he places the WTC title just behind: 'The mace means a lot. It shows you've been the best over years, across conditions. It's something we can point to now and be proud of for a long time.'
The sense of unity and quiet confidence extends through the squad. Beau Webster, who played a pivotal role in Australia's qualification during the home series against India, spoke of the belief within the dressing room. 'The cattle we've got – it's pretty amazing. We've got a strong record at Lord's, and everyone's going in confident.'
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