Australia captain Pat Cummins said his team had created their own legacy by winning the nation’s record-extending sixth one-day Cricket World Cup as players returned home from India on Wednesday.
Cummins’ team upset the hosts by six wickets in Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad, only months after beating the south Asians to claim their maiden World Test Championship.
The Australia skipper touched down in Sydney with team mates and was still glowing about their achievement.
“Every half an hour or so, you kind of remember that we just won the World Cup and get excited all over again,” Cummins told reporters at the airport.
“So we’re still buzzing, it’s been an awesome couple of days and I think we’ll be smiling for a fair while.”
Cummins has had an incredible year as captain. He led Australia to the aforementioned World Test Championship win before retaining the Ashes away from home against England. Their World Cup triumph is another example of Cummins’ prowess as a leader but he prefers to think of these successes as team achievements.
“I think they have created their own legacy,” he added, “I mean, a World Cup, you only get one chance every four years and especially playing someone like India, it’s hard.
“So to be put up against the rest of the world and come away with a medal, that’s -- it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Australia have now won the one day World Cup a record extending six times— (Getty Images)
Australia had to work their way back into the tournament after losing their opening matches against India and South Africa but were a juggernaut once they reached the semi-finals.
Cummins added that the squad had never doubted themselves, even after their rough start saying: “You look back on now that we’ve won and you think: ‘Wow, everything came together,’
“But the belief never left, even at the start. We knew we hadn’t played our best but kind of knew once we clicked we could take on anyone and it proved to be the case.”
