Australia captain Pat Cummins heaped praise on Cameron Green for his brilliant knock on a tricky wicket at Galle after the tourists recorded a 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first Test on Friday (July 1).
Replying to Sri Lanka's first innings total of 212, Australia found themselves in trouble, having lost four wickets for just 100, but then Usman Khawaja (71) and Green (77) helped the tourists to take a 109-run first-innings lead against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Apart from playing a brilliant knock, Green shared half-century partnerships with Khawaja and Alex Carey (45) to bring Australia out of danger, and Cummins admitted that the all-rounder was the difference in the opening Test of the two-match Test series in Galle.
Green played cricket on faster pitches in Western Australia, but the way he batted at the spin-heavy wicket, left Cummins impressed. Notably, Green was rightly adjudged the Player of the Match for his efforts with the bat in the first Test against Sri Lanka.
Pat Cummins said after the match: “Someone like Greeny has grown up at the WACA and over in Perth, it's so different to here. Players go through their whole careers looking for a method that works in these conditions, and in his first knock, he's found it. Really happy for him, he was fantastic, he was the difference.”
Meanwhile, speaking about his special knock, Green said: “Playing in the sub-continent you've got a few unknowns how to go about it but there are a lot of experienced guys in the change-room, a few guys I can talk to get a really good idea before I go out there.”
The 23-year-old signed off by saying, “A few guys said just to be proactive. If you go out there just defending, you get yourself in trouble. Looking to score is how you give yourself the best chance. You're going to get out at some point so you might as well play some shots.”
(With Reuters Inputs)
