Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins, along with other players, arrived at Sydney on Wednesday morning to an unexpectedly quiet airport. In contrast to the jubilant receptions often witnessed for victorious teams, there was an unusual emptiness at Sydney Airport, with only the media present to welcome the skipper and his team, who clinched the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India.
Pat Cummins, Josh Hazelwood, and Shaun Marsh were seen rolling their luggage through Gate B of Sydney Airport's International Terminal, a stark departure from the exuberant receptions Indian cricket heroes might receive upon returning home after a major victory.
Cummins led Team Australia to a stunning triumph over Team India in the finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Defying expectations, Australia emerged victorious in front of a massive crowd of over 92,000 Indian supporters. This marked a significant achievement as they defeated an undefeated Team India in a stadium with a capacity of over one lakh spectators.
The Australian skipper's leadership secured their victory, making him the fifth Australian captain to win the World Cup for his side. Australia now stands as the sole nation in the past 16 years to have won a World Cup away from home.
While some players of the Australian World Cup-winning squad remained in India, a five-match T20I series between the finalists, Australia and India, is set to commence on Thursday (November 23) in Visakhapatnam. Travis Head, the hero of the finals for Australia, along with players Sean Abbott, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa, and Tanveer Sangha, stayed back for the bilateral series.
Wicket-keeper batsman Matthew Wade will lead the Australian side, and all-rounder Aaron Hardie was included in the squad after David Warner chose to return to Australia for personal reasons, opting out of the bilateral series in India.
The year 2023 has proven to be a golden one for Australian cricket, with victories in the Ashes, World Test Championship, and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, all achieved under the captaincy of Pat Cummins.
