In the post-match press conference, when Australian captain Pat Cummins accepted the Player of the Match accolade, he admitted that, at first, he had no idea that he had hit a hat-trick on the opening delivery of the last over of the opening session. He didn’t realise how great he had done until it was projected on the large screen.
Cummins also talked about how happy he was to have dismissed Towhid Hridoy (40 off 28), the veteran batsman, who had reached his hat-trick. With five deliveries left in the innings, he took Hridoy’s wicket with special satisfaction, and he was happy to limit the Bangladeshi side to a modest score of 140/8.
“Until it appeared on the screen, I was unaware of the hat trick. It’s always difficult to predict how an innings will go when you’re the set batsman, but Cummins said, “That was a big wicket (on Hridoy’s wicket), and happy to have restricted them.”
Cummins achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the second Australian player and the seventh player overall to secure a hat-trick in the T20 World Cup. He is following in the footsteps of Brett Lee, who achieved the same feat in the premier event’s first edition against the same opponent.
Quite well-rehearsed, with the intention of winning: Cummins
Speaking about the strength of Australia’s bowling reserves, Cummins emphasised the tactical benefit of having Ashton Agar and Nathan Ellis as strong options that could be used depending on the circumstances or game.
The team’s well-executed performance, which resulted in a 28-run victory through the DLS method, also pleased the 31-year-old. Their brilliant batting and bowling performances served as the cornerstones of their victory. The winning was the main goal, Cummins stated, and he was happy that they were able to achieve this in a way that increased their net run rate dramatically. He was hopeful that this momentum would help them advance through the competition.
“Our bowling team has depth as evidenced by the fact that Agar and Ellis have been on the bench for us. A reasonably well-executed performance; winning was the main objective, and we succeeded in running the ball well. Maintaining this momentum will be crucial as we move forward in the Super 8s, Cummins continued.
India
