Captain Pat Cummins believes Australia should celebrate backs-against-the-wall victories rather than nitpick over near-misses, after their Test series win over New Zealand.
Australia jumped off the canvas in Christchurch on Monday, when Alex Carey and Mitch Marsh spearheaded a successful fourth-innings chase of 279.
After Marsh departed for 80, Carey made an unbeaten 98, sticking it out to the end to watch Cummins (32 not out) hit the winning runs in a three-wicket win.
It was a gutsy performance but as Cummins admitted, a far from stress-free experience, particularly when Australia were 4-34 in their chase.
“It’s similar to almost the ODI World Cup where you keep finding a way to win, even if at times, it’s not fully functioning, the whole unit,” Cummins said.
“At times I don’t think we played our best cricket and still found a way to win.
“A couple of previous summers we’ve blown teams out of the water.
“This summer wasn’t the case but at the key moment someone stood up and we found a way to win, so really proud of the group.”
Cummins gave the team a pass-mark for the summer, which teetered on the brink of under-performance until their day four Hagley Oval heroics.
Australia enjoyed a clean sweep of Pakistan at home before a blemish by drawing 1-1 with the West Indies after an eight-run defeat in the second Test.
A similar fourth innings fade-out was avoided in Christchurch.
“Six out of seven Tests (won), you’d certainly take that. Some big series wins,” he said.
Still, he and teammates are aware of persistent criticism that they can’t conjure routine Test wins in the manner of their predecessors.
There remains a question mark over the opening partnership of Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja, with the pair averaging 13 and 22 in New Zealand.
Marnus Labuschagne had a worse average until his mighty first-innings 90 in Christchurch, while Travis Head also fluffed his lines, averaging 17.
Like Carey, Labuschagne answered critics at Hagley Oval, while Mitchell Starc contributed just five wickets across four innings and looks the most vulnerable of the attack.
Cummins said he saw the side’s experience as “one of our biggest strengths” and a reason for their success.
“At least half the team has played 50 Test matches, that’s pretty hard to replicate,” he said.
“In those key moments, being able to draw on that knowledge of guys that have played all around the world, it’s valuable.
“We’re in no rush to make rash changes.”
As for their performance in New Zealand, Cummins pointed to their last 15 months: two home summers, a Test tour of India, the World Test Championship final, the Ashes, the one-day World Cup.
“It’s been a big body of work,” he said.
“The boys keep showing up, keep trying to get better each day and and keep finding a way to win, so couldn’t be prouder.”
