The sweetness of victory: Pat Cummins on Australia's ODI World Cup win

The World Cup final between Pat Cummins and the unrivaled Virat Kohli was met with an overwhelming quiet from the over 90,000 spectators at the Narendra Modi Stadium. It was perhaps the "sweetest moment" the captain of Australia had ever experienced in cricket.

Cummins acknowledged that he had "fallen in love with 50-over format all over again" after becoming the fifth Australian skipper to win his nation's sixth ODI World Cup here on Sunday.

With a ball that had an additional bounce, he managed to get Kohli, who was comfortably placed at 54, by attempting to jab it towards the covers.

When asked whether the stillness on the cricket pitch was his favorite moment, Cummins nodded in agreement.

In fact, the Aussies broke with tradition and called a second huddle to just recognize the significance of the moment in the game.

"In the huddle, we did pause for a moment to recognize the stillness that was circulating among the participants. Cummins said, "It just felt like one of those days where everything was set up for him to score another hundred like he usually does, and that was satisfying."

He thinks the ODI World Cup will endure because it has a history of its own and because the players have tales to tell. The bilateral series may be the source of the issue.

"I have to admit, this World Cup made me fall in love with ODI all over again—possibly because we won. He said, "I think the situation where every game really matters does mean a bit different than just a bilateral."

"The World Cup has such a lengthy history, so I'm confident it will last for a very long time. Yes, there have been a ton of amazing games and stories released in the previous several months. So, I believe that a location exists. He had to shorten his India trip after learning of his mother's passing in March.

After his comeback, he guided his nation to victory in the World Test Championship, won the coveted Ashes, and now achieved what he called the "ultimate goal in this sport."

'Captain Marvel' of Australia has achieved everything.

Indeed, I am currently really proud of the year we've had. It's clear that I've had a really busy year," he said.

He spoke about the sacrifices that each member of the team and their families had to make.

"I'm sure my family is watching at home. My dad just sent me a message stating he's excited as hell since he's been waking up at 4 a.m. a lot lately and doesn't go to bed till then. You do make a lot of sacrifices in order to play for Australia. However, this also included sifting through everything to find this day.

Everyone on the team has traveled extensively this year, but we do it for these special occasions. My wife and the two daughters are most likely sleeping, but they're all excited and go with us.

Everyone on our team has a unique narrative to tell, but there are many proud members of the group, Cummins added.

He saw Indian fans, who were all dressed in blue, make their way to the stadium from his hotel room. He was pacing up and down in his hotel room, feeling tense.

He said, "I always like to say I'm pretty relaxed, but this morning I was a little bit nervous."

"Just walking about, watching the sea of blue in the hotel come nearer to the ground, waiting for it to start.

Before the game, Cummins recapped his experience, saying, "Observing the sea of blue, cars parked with selfie cameras out, you knew you were walking into something pretty special."

You'll never forget the thrill of walking outside for the toss and seeing 130,000 blue Indian jerseys. Fantastic day, and thankfully they didn't make too much noise for the most part of it," he said.

The match's official attendance was 92,543.

A bold wager pays off

The captain addressed Travis Head, the guy who constantly messes with India, whether it's in the WTC final or the ODI World Cup final, in the midst of all the emotions. The Indian squad is unable to respond to him.

"Travis Head was outstanding. "A great deal of appreciation should also be given to Andrew McDonald and George Bailey, the selectors, for taking a chance," he said, showing great admiration for the backroom workers who were certain that the southpaw was necessary in the lineup.

Indeed, there was a possibility that the choice might have backfired.

"He was out for much of the tournament with a broken finger, but it was a big risk to keep him in the squad."

"The medical staff was excellent in getting him into a position where he could perform, of course. I think that was a significant risk. "You got to take those risks to win a tournament, but if that didn't work out, I think we could have been made to look really foolish," he said.

A player who is willing to risk everything for the team makes the captain extremely happy.

"Trav, the player we've seen in Test matches, has all the qualities I look for in a cricket squad. He plays with joy, takes the game head-on, applies pressure to the opponent, and is a lot of fun to be around. The captain was all over his friend's compliments, saying, "I couldn't be happier for Trav."

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