'Ashes Are Bloody Hard To Win...,' Pat Cummins On Ashes Challenge After WTC Final Win
Australia are current WTC Champion [Source: Twitter]
Australia's conquest to retain 'The Ashes 2023' urn started off on the right note, with Pat Cummins and Co. winning the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 against India at The Oval. Led by Cummins, Australia won a one-sided encounter, beating India by 209 runs, to clinch their maiden ICC Test mace ahead of the five-Test series against England, which commences June 16.
Skipper Cummins speaking about the Ashes, stated that a win over England could be "legacy-defining stuff. Interestingly, Australia's last Ashes series win in England came back in 2001, when the Steve Waugh-led side hammered England 4-1.
As quoted by India Today, Cummins explained that the upcoming series will not be easy, while maintaining the WTC Final win is satisfying.
Here's what Cummins said
"The last couple of months our preparation has been preparing for six test matches over here. We've seen it as one big tour with two huge titles to play for and good to tick the first one off (feels great). Whether we like it or not, Ashes tend to define eras and teams. I think the great thing about this final is we feel like we've played awesome cricket for the last two years and being there at the end holding the trophy feels really well deserved. That's great for our team and in a way Ashes are bloody hard to win. It's not going to be easy but if we were to win it, that is legacy-defining stuff."
Australia are currently holders of the iconic urn, which they won in The Ashes 2021-22, where Cummins and his troops demolished England, then led by Joe Root 4-0 Down Under.
It will be interesting how England fares against Australia, under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, who have changed Test cricket for good, since taking over in June 2022.
The first Test will be played at Edgbaston.
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