Delighted Aussie captain Pat Cummins praised his players for turning his childhood dream into reality with a victory in Melbourne on Tuesday that saw the Ashes triumph in their debut series in charge.
Australia beat England by one end and 14 points at Melbourne Cricket Ground, sealing the series 3-0 before lunch on Day 3 in front of a festive crowd of 40,945. “Everything went according to plan… I think our bowlers were fantastic,” Cummins told reporters.
“I didn’t even feel like there had been a session where it really escaped us. That’s what dreams are made of, the way we played.”
The Australian bowlers routed England for 68 in their second inning, their 13th lowest total in tests, with debutant Scott Boland proving the surprise hero with a six-innings carry in front of his home MCG home crowd. Australia have now retained the ballot box twice in a row for the first time since Steve Waugh’s side claimed an eighth consecutive series victory in 2002/03.
Although Cummins was forced to miss the second test in Adelaide after being identified as close contact of a COVID-19 case, the fast-paced 28-year-old bowler was instrumental in Australia’s success. Promoted captain just before the series after Tim Paine resigned following a sexting scandal, Cummins organized the team superbly.
He took 10 wickets at an average of 14.40 in his two games and contributed 21 with the bat in Melbourne to help build an 82-point lead that England were unable to recover. “I grew up watching Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, those guys win the Ashes series,” he said.
“I felt a million miles away playing cricket in the backyard and here I am ten years later in that position. It’s madness … Not far from what I could imagine that my life would become as a young child. ”
(This story was not edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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