"A lot of people forgot" - Pat Cummins reiterates the importance of WTC final amid 2023 Ashes
Australian captain Pat Cummins admitted that several people have forgotten their World Test Championship (WTC) final contest against India amid the Ashes series. The right-arm speedster also stated that it felt like a missed opportunity when India and New Zealand locked horns two years ago.
Australia finished as the table toppers in the 2021-2023 WTC cycle, having won 11 out of 19 Tests. Their only series defeat in the tenure came against India earlier this year as they went down 2-1.
Australia have named their squad for the WTC Final and first two Ashes Tests!
#WTCFinal #Ashes
Australia missed out on qualifying for the WTC final last time around due to their poor over rate in the MCG Test against India, costing them a few points.
Cummins stated that it didn't hit them until they saw India and New Zealand playing the final in Southampton two years ago. Hence, the 29-year-old hopes to see Australia clinch the title.
He said, as quoted by The Age:
"We’ve got India in the World Test Championship final first, which I think a lot of people forgot. I think being new, it probably didn’t hit us until the game was actually played, and you saw over there [in England] New Zealand did well and you wish you were there. It feels like second time around it’s got a little bit more on it. It felt like a big missed opportunity that first one. So it certainly gives a bit more context to every series now, something big to play for."
"Gives them a bit more global context" - Pat Cummins on World Test Championship
Cummins hailed the WTC final concept, stating that it provides more relevance to the smaller series, adding:
"The big series, say Ashes or India series where you play four or five Test matches, are obviously big battles, whereas the more common series where you play two or three in a series, it [the World Test Championship] gives them a bit more global context and something a bit extra to play for."
#WTC23 Final bound 🏆
Congratulations Australia. See you in June! 👋 https://t.co/H2YdaWPzYV
This will be India's second appearance in the WTC final, having lost to New Zealand by eight wickets in 2021.