Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: ICC/Twitter)
Australia skipper Pat Cummins stated that his side is at a stage where they treat every ODI World Cup match as a final. The five-time champions have made an awful start in the tournament, having suffered defeats against India and South Africa, respectively. They will next take on Sri Lanka in their third match on October 16 in Lucknow.
Cummins stated that his team is very confident that they can excel in the tournament against the opponents they have previously had success against.
“Looking back at 2019, India and South Africa were the two teams that we lost to in the round games there. In the last year, they’re kind of the two teams that we’ve had the most trouble against. So, the opportunity now is we’ve got some teams we haven’t played for a while that we’ve had a lot of success against and be really confident when we go out there,” Cummins was quoted as saying by India Today.
The 30-year-old also admitted that Australia did not make a good start in the tournament, and now they are striving to win the rest of the games.
“Not an ideal start at all. Everyone’s desperate to turn it around. We’re obviously 0-2, so we’ve got to start winning and start winning quick. Every game now becomes almost like a final. You’ve got to win just about all of them,” Cummins added.
Cummins went on to say that they are aware of the aspects which make them a good team. He added that, after all, Australia is the most successful team in tournament history, and they don’t have to look back too far to make a comeback.
“No doubt we haven’t been up to the standard that we like to hold. We’ve been off the mark and been outplayed both games. When we’re at our best, we’re putting big runs on the board. We’re putting the pressure back into the opposition. Us bowlers are taking wickets through the middle. So, we haven’t been able to pull any of that together so far. So yeah, we know what makes us a really good team.
“Again, it wasn’t that long ago. We’re number one in the world. So, we don’t have to look back too far to work out when we’re playing our best,” the Aussie captain concluded.
Also Check: ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Points Table