'Got to be winning overseas to be the No. 1 Test team' - Pat Cummins after Galle win

Australia thrashed Sri Lanka in the first Test match in Galle on July 1, Friday, as they won by ten wickets. After the match, Australia captain Pat Cummins said that the team must keep winning overseas to be the number one Test team. Australia are currently the number one ranked Test team and are also at the top of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) table.

Cummins said that his side has been brave and proactive in its approach in recent times, which he believes are the characteristics that are normally associated with limited-overs cricket. He also said that the individuals were working on something new, trying to learn and be successful on these wickets for the ongoing series.

“A couple of new words we’re using about our approach is being proactive and brave. We saw some really clear methods from all the batters,” said Cummins, after the match. “They might have been individually a bit different, but you saw everyone being really proactive and putting pressure back on the bowlers.”

Embracing everything about the conditions, that’s been a big one for us: Cummins

“You’d normally talk about it in one-day or T20 cricket. But I think that’s the style over here that’s needed,” added the Australia Test captain. “Embracing everything about the conditions, that’s been a big one for us. In the past, you can get caught up in conditions that aren’t like Australia, but if you want to be the number one Test team in the world, you’ve got to be winning overseas.”

“So I think everyone – the experienced guys finding new shots, Mitchell Starc working on the reverse swing, Nathan Lyon coming up with a few new balls. There is so much appetite to learn and be successful on these wickets,” said the fast bowler.

In the first Test match, Australia dismissed Sri Lanka for 212 in the first innings in 59 overs, courtesy of a five-wicket haul by off-spinner Nathan Lyon. Australia, in reply, amassed 321 in 70.5 overs, thanks to the knocks of opener Usman Khawaja and all-rounder Cameron Green, who scored 71 and 77 respectively.

Sri Lanka, trailing by 109 runs, only survived for 22.5 overs on the third day, scoring 113. The session was dominated by the Aussie spinners yet again as Lyon and Travis Head bagged four wickets each, and leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson got two wickets. Australia had to chase only five runs, which was finished off in four balls by David Warner, and the match was complete before lunch on Day 3.