Australia defeated India by six wickets in the fifth Test in Sydney on Sunday, securing their spot in the World Test Championship final against South Africa. This victory also marked Australia’s first series win against India in a decade. The WTC final will be held at Lord’s in June.
The World Test Championship title defense is a major goal for Australia, captain Pat Cummins said. Winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is a significant achievement, but qualifying for the championship final adds another layer of satisfaction.
“To hold the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is an amazing feeling, and the extra layer is now securing a spot again in the World Test Championship final, which was always a huge goal for us in this cycle,” Cummins said.
The World Test Championship requires consistent performance across different conditions and against various opponents.
“I think it’s a great tournament in that you’ve got to play well consistently and across all different conditions against different teams. We can’t wait to get over there,” he added.
South Africa qualified for the final after defeating Pakistan last month. Australia will play two Tests in Sri Lanka before the final. Cummins may miss the Sri Lanka series due to the impending birth of his second child. Steve Smith is expected to captain the team in his absence. Cummins affirmed his commitment to the captaincy.
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“First of all, I absolutely love what I do. That’s the biggest driver in wanting to play Test cricket and work with this team and support staff. I absolutely love everything about it, it’s that much fun. If I can keep doing it for a while, even better,” Cummins said.
837,879 spectators attended the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, including a record 373,691 at the Melbourne Boxing Day Test.
