Pat Cummins’ Australian Test captaincy got off to a great start as his team registered an emphatic nine-wicket victory over England in the opening Ashes Test at Gabba.
Australian bowlers ran through the English batting line-up, reducing them from 220/2 to 297 all-out, in the first session on Day 4.
The hosts then completed the formalities by chasing the paltry target of 20 in the fourth innings to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series.
See Also: Joe Root stands by his decision to bat first at Gabba, defends his bowling selections
Speaking after the game, Cummins said his Australian team's cool under pressure was crucial in propelling them to victory.
"I felt like everything went our way on day one and two," Cummins quoted as saying by AFP.
"So (the partnership) was a good reminder that it's Test cricket -- there are going to be good days out there, you play against the best players in the world and they are going to have good days
"I was happy with how we stuck at it. We were really calm this morning. We were ahead of the game and there was no panic. We got our rewards this morning for the hard work we did yesterday."
Asked to bowl first, Australia bundled out England for a meagre 147 in the first innings and then piled up a massive 425/10 on the board.
Joe Root and Dawid Malan's 162-run partnership in the second essay threatened to set Australia a challenging fourth-innings run chase. But Nathan Lyon dismissed Malan for 82 while Cameron Green took the vital scalp of Root for 89 to end England’s resistance.
Cummins said having the all-rounder Cameron Green in the side was "huge".
"Not only as an all-rounder but as a genuine fourth quick," Cummins said. "He's had a really good pre-season, bowled a bit more in (domestic) Shield cricket. He's just a huge asset, bowls 140 (kmh) with bounce and he can swing the ball."
Australia have two injury concerns ahead of the second Test, due to get underway in Adelaide from December 16.
Cummins confirmed that Hazlewood had a slight side strain and Warner bruised ribs from being struck by Mark Wood while batting. While the Australian captain is confident about Warner’s availability, he is a bit concerned about Hazlewood.
"I think we'll wait to see how he pulls up in the morning," he said. "The main concern is we don't want to put him in jeopardy for the whole series so we'll take our time (making a decision)."
(With AFP inputs)
