"This is No.1, yeah, absolutely" - Pat Cummins brands 2023 Ashes opener as the best Test he has ever been a part of
Australia skipper Pat Cummins has labeled the Edgbaston Test of the 2023 Ashes series as the best red-ball contest that he has been part of in his career so far. He played a starring role in the win with both bat and ball, particularly his unbeaten 44, which helped his side cross the line and record a memorable two-wicket win over their rivals.
Apart from his heroics during the run chase, he also scored a crucial 38 runs in the first innings and took four wickets in the second innings. He came out to bat on the final day with the scoreboard reading 209-7 in their pursuit of the 281-run target and had to play the lead role after Alex Carey's wicket, with over 50 runs still to attain.
Cummins took on Joe Root and the old ball, with Nathan Lyon playing his role to perfection at the other end. Rating the Edgbaston Test at the top of the pile, Cummins said during the post-match press conference:
"This is No.1, yeah absolutely. Start of an Ashes series, definitely number one. Probably when we got down to 10 runs or so required or maybe 16 runs or something, I thought like 2 runs an over and felt pretty confident about winning."
He continued:
"It felt like from almost the first session of Day 1, it was 50-50 the whole way along. Like it never felt like it swung too far, one way or the other."
The game was on a knife's edge at the end of Day 4, with England requiring seven wickets to win and Australia 174 runs away from a series lead. Heroics from Usman Khawaja and Cummins, coupled with inputs from other batters, ensured a win for the visitors.
Khawaja was adjudged as player of the match for his performances with the bat in both innings. The veteran opener played a total of 518 deliveries for his knocks of 141 and 65.
"Away Test matches are really hard to win" - Pat Cummins
One of the biggest reasons behind Australia's qualification for the 2021-23 World Test Championship (WTC) Final was their performances away from home. They notched wins in India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, which spruced up their points tally, along with an undefeated season at home.
Asserting the importance of good performances in away Tests, Cummins said:
"We have been big on how we want to play. I think we have been consistent over the last 20 Test matches or so and this time it was good enough to get a win. Away Test matches are really hard to win, so to come here and win, going about the way that we want to play has been great."
The second Test of the Ashes is scheduled to begin on June 28 at the Lord's. Australia have taken an early lead in the series following their nervy two-wicket win in Birmingham.