After conquering the world of cricket, Pat Cummins must now connect generations | Cricket

After a hard-fought fifth Test victory against India to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by a margin of 3-1, the post-series press conference with Pat Cummins, sporting a weary smile under a pink brim, began with a juicy toss of a question: “As captain,” the reporter asked, “do you feel you are done with cricket now?” »

This was, in some ways, justified. Becoming the first Australian Test captain since Mark Taylor during the 1997 Ashes campaign to turn a 0-1 deficit into a five-Test series triumph, Cummins’ side now hold the trophies in each of their Test series bilateral tests. They also won the 2023 ODI World Cup in India and will defend their World Test Championship mace against South Africa in the final at Lord’s in June.

But the Sydney competition was hardly a crowning achievement. The Test hinged on the batting contribution of Test debutant Beau Webster and the absence of injured Indian superstar Jasprit Bumrah in the final innings. Even without Bumrah, Steve Smith’s dismissal at 3 for 58 looked set to give the series a finishing touch. Only small but vital contributions from Usman Khawaja, Travis Head and Webster sealed a six-wicket victory.

It was easy to forget that India had beaten the home side by 295 runs in Perth and that over the next six weeks Bumrah had made Australia’s batters look like ten pins in a bowling alley. Yet the immediate prospects for Cummins’ side are all beer and skittles. Alex Carey said the team deserved a drink, and an obliging Sam Konstas was still on the SCG pitch with a bottle in hand at 9pm on Sunday night. Head – another known for enjoying a beer to celebrate a crowded trophy cabinet – said “the T20 World Cup is the last one to tick off for a few of us”.

This tournament will be organized in India in 13 months. Before that, there is the World Test Championship final in June and a home Ashes series in November. So while winning back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade is worth celebrating, it was only the first episode of this generation’s Last Look before the real final frontier in January 2027: a series of five tests back in India.

It is no coincidence that coach Andrew McDonald extended his contract until 2027. In October, he declared that a “transition” was approaching for this all-conquering team. “It’s very difficult to change a stable team that works very well. There are historical times – the 1970s and 2007 – when mass players disappeared and (the team) struggled to perform at the same level,” he said. “We’re not beholden to the past, and I think if you get caps directly on the backs of the players who are leaving, then the transition is a lot smoother.”

Australia got Nathan McSweeney’s decision wrong, removing 25-year-old David Warner’s replacement after three Tests and bleeding Konstas. But the shine of the 19-year-old’s bold MCG debut is already fading. It highlights the appeal of a known quantity, even if worn out or in decline. Cummins told the press conference that the selectors had resisted the temptation to panic after the defeat in Perth, saying it was “more important to realize that we are still the No. 1 team in the world, we are still a very good team, so stay strong.” .”

Khawaja will be 40 years old when the 2027 Border-Gavaskar series arrives. “He always says age is just a number,” Cummins said of his late opener, who made 184 runs at 20.44 in the five Tests against India. Yet the captain says Khawaja’s 78-Test career has “no end date, as long as he scores a few more runs”.

Smith’s two centuries amid 314 runs at 34.88 in the series have helped quell calls for his move, but concerns remain over the top six, with Marnus Labuschagne (232 runs at 25.77) leading the way of them. Smith, 35 – who is not Australia’s top scorer in the series (448 runs from 56) Travis Head, 31 – is expected to step in as captain again if Cummins has to miss the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka for the birth of her second child.

Likewise, most Australian bowling attacks are now at an age where mortality is setting in. Scott Boland, 35, cannot be the selectors’ miracle drug forever, especially considering the relatively young Josh Hazlewood, 33 (Mitchell Starc will be 35 in January and Nathan Lyon is 38 at the time of the Ashes) has been the fast bowler to break down this summer.

This 2027 series in India will instead depend on Australia’s slow bowlers and the ability of Lyon – then aged 39 – to remain powerful. Todd Murphy, currently 24, and Matt Kuhnemann, 28, have been included in the squad for the SCG Test ahead of a possible call-up for Sri Lanka. All three featured in the fateful Delhi Test of 2023, where a sweep-induced batting collapse marked the most painful failure of this generation.

The constant is Cummins. The 31-year-old finished the series as Australia’s leading wicket-taker (25 wickets at 21.36), made crucial runs in the MCG victory (49 and 41) and completed the fifth over of Rishabh Pant’s test with a perfect delivery. He is the cornerstone of the team, entering his prime as a cricketer.

Two more years of success will put Cummins among Australia’s greatest executives, if he isn’t there already. When asked by the journalist, the captain just laughed. Cricket over? “Unfortunately, I have to continue playing.”