“The turning point was Pat Cummins” – Shane Watson appreciates the Australia skipper which marked the World Cup 2023 1st victory for them.

Shane Watson highlighted Pat Cummins’ pivotal contributions both with the ball and on the field as the key factors behind Australia’s victory in the 2023 World Cup match against Sri Lanka. Cummins impressively recorded figures of 2/32 in his seven overs and executed a crucial run-out that led to the dismissal of the Lankan Lions for a total of 209 runs. Australia, having chosen to set a target at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Monday, October 16, went on to secure a five-wicket win with nearly 15 overs to spare, marking their successful debut in the tournament.

During a discussion on the Star Sports program ‘Match Point’, Watson was asked to identify the turning point in Australia’s performance on that particular Monday.

Shane Watson said “To me, the turning point was Pat Cummins. His first over that he bowled was just very different from what we have seen in this World Cup so far. He had more energy behind the ball. You could see this game really meant something to him.”

The former Australian all-rounder further emphasized that Pat Cummins’ exceptional efforts on the field significantly boosted the team’s overall performance.

“He really put it all on the line, and he lifted the whole team in the field but also with the ball. So for me, Pat Cummins with his first over that he bowled, that was the turning point as things were different and he really led from the front today which was what he needed to do,” the all rounder added.