Pat Cummins Says Leading Australia To World Cup Title 'Pinnacle In Cricket'

Pat Cummins said captaining Australia to World Cup title glory was the "pinnacle in cricket" after his side dashed the dreams of tournament hosts India with a six-wicket win in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The final was a personal triumph for Cummins, whose decision to field first was vindicated as India -- the only previously unbeaten team at the tournament after a run of 10 straight wins -- were held to a modest 240 all out. "That's huge, that's the pinnacle in cricket, winning a World Cup, especially here in India, in front of a crowd like this," he said.

It has been a personal and professional rollercoaster for Cummins in 2023.

In March, he returned home from a tour of India to be with his mother, Maria, before she died.

"I've obviously had a really big year. I know my family at home is watching, just got a message from dad saying he's had a lot of 4:00 am wake-ups, not going to bed until 4:00 am, so he's as pumped as anything.

"You sacrifice a lot to play for Australia and everyone in the team has and we've spent a lot of this year away but we do it for these moments."

India star batsman Virat Kohli ended the match having set a new record for most runs -- 765 -- at a single World Cup.

But when fast bowler Cummins had Kohli playing on for 54 on Sunday, to leave India 148-4, a crowd of over 92,000 at the Narendra Modi Stadium fell into stunned silence.

Before the match, Cummins -- who finished the final with superb figures of 2-34 in 10 overs -- had said there was no better feeling for an opposition player than quieting a partisan home crowd.

Cummins, asked if dismissing Kohli was as sweet a moment as he had known in cricket, the 30-year-old replied: "I think so. We did take a second in the huddle just to acknowledge the