Australia captain Pat Cummins and India skipper Rohit Sharma have expressed admiration for their teams’ efforts leading up to the ICC World Test Championship Final 2023. Speaking to Sanjana Ganesan at the Captains’ Photo event before the decider, both captains acknowledged the hard work put in by their teammates in various Test matches around the world.
Australia had a strong start to the championship, dominating their Ashes rivals England with a 4-0 victory at home. They continued their success with an away series win against Pakistan and earned crucial points from a drawn series in Sri Lanka. Their home series against West Indies and South Africa solidified their position in the WTC Final. A victory in Indore secured their first-place finish on the WTC standings.
Cummins believed that the opportunity to claim the mace in the final would be a deserving reward for the team’s efforts throughout their journeys.
“It’s really satisfying (to be here). You’ve got to win lots of games, not only at home but away,” said Cummins at the ICC event.
“The team has been excellent over the last few years and they deserve to be here in the Final. It’s all to play for. It’s exciting.”
The rivalry between Australia and India has been intense over the years, and the latest series between the two finalists was another chapter in their fierce competition on the field.
“Overall, if you look at the consistent cricket that we played, we displayed good cricket all around,” said Rohit.
“It’s a very tough tournament. We’ve got to play consistent cricket throughout the couple of years to get here.
“You need all the departments to do well for you. And I thought our strength really has been all three departments.”
A neutral venue for the WTC Final is expected to level the playing field, although India has the added advantage of enjoying more support at The Oval.
Cummins and Sharma shared a laugh over the fact that neutrals might also lean towards supporting the Indian team, particularly with the upcoming Ashes campaign for Australia.
“It (a neutral venue) is something different for both teams. No home support, although I think we usually get a bit more support anywhere we play,” said Rohit with a smile on his face.
“But no, it’s always been nice, coming and playing at neutral venues for us.
“It’s not just the two or three years of rivalry. There’s so much history behind the two teams taking on each other. So that is what makes it more exciting, not just for the players but also for the people who are watching from all parts of the world.”
Cummins also mentioned that the WTC Final adds an extra dimension to the already heated rivalry, as players from both teams have shared dressing rooms in domestic cricket.
“I think through IPL we know a lot of the guys now as well, which always kind of has some healthy battles.
“I think in a lot of ways we play a similar style. Some quick bowlers, the batters want to get out there and take the game on, and there’s been really close battles over the last few years, so it’s going to be a bit different playing in a neutral venue but it should be good fun.”
Interestingly, when asked about the significance of winning the WTC Final, Cummins saw it as the final piece of silverware needed to complete Australia’s trophy cabinet.
“It’s a trophy we haven’t won in Australian cricket,” said Cummins.
“Test Cricket for me is always the pinnacle.
“I’ve had some great series wins over the years, but to play in this tournament … I think it could be the most special.”
On the other hand, Sharma viewed it as a reward for the team’s perseverance after their defeat in the 2021 WTC Final, highlighting their strong performance in the 2021-2023 cycle.
“It’ll mean everything to us. This is the ultimate format, the most challenging format,” said Rohit.
“So to come out on top in this particular format will be great because it’s not the effort for a month or two, it’s the effort that we put in for the last few years.”
(ICC Inputs)
