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The wealth of experience in Australia’s ranks helps it find solutions in difficult situations, captain Pat Cummins said after his side played itself out of trouble to secure a series-clinching 133-run win over the West Indies on Sunday.
Australia’s squad for the three-test series features seven cricketers who have played more than 50 tests and is largely made up of players in their 30s, with Sam Konstas (19), Cameron Green (26) and Matthew Kuhnemann (28) the only exceptions.
That experience shone through in the second test as Steve Smith scored a crucial knock of 71 to rescue his team from a worrying 28-3 in the second innings, while Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc took three wickets apiece on day four.
“I think (experience) is a big part of it, we spoke about someone like a Steve Smith coming back,” Cummins told reporters.
“He might not have played at Grenada, but he’s played on lots of wickets where you’ve got to find a different way to score.
“It might not be big drives down the ground or whatever it is, you’ve got to scrap your way to a 50, and I think that comes through experience.
“With experience, you’ve seen a lot of the same problems before, you have a level of calmness that you can work your way through the problem. As a captain, it makes my life a lot easier knowing you’ve got lots of settled players there.”
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Despite its dominance in the Caribbean, Australia did not get the best out of opener Sam Konstas, who has an average of 18.25 from his four tests after scores of 25 and 0 in Grenada, and three and five in the first test in Bridgetown.
Cummins said the 19-year-old must not put undue pressure on himself and should focus on the big picture.
“Every innings feels like the biggest thing in the world,” he added.
“But I think the stat is, even the best batters in the world don’t hit their average three out of four times or something like that. You’re going to fail more often than you’re going to succeed.
“As long as you’re a quick learner, as long as you’re moving well and giving yourself the best chance, just keep doubling down on that and judge yourself after a series or so, not innings by innings.”
The final test will be a day-night match in Kingston from July 12.
“We’ve been trying to get our hands on some (pink balls), but we haven’t got some yet. Hopefully they’re waiting for us in Jamaica,” Cummins said.
“My experience in pink-ball (tests) in Australia is that you never quite know what you’re going to get. We’ve played a lot, but things can change really quickly, so even when you feel like you’re on top, things can change quite fast.”
