Australia skipper Pat Cummins has brushed off the claims made by Pakistan’s Director of Cricket Mohammad Hafeez after his side staged a 79-run win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday (Dec 29). Australia beat Pakistan in the second Test to seal the series 2-0, however, according to Hafeez, Pakistan were the better side in the match despite ending on the losing side. Cummins was the star performer in the match after scalping 10 wickets in the match while ending 2023 on a high.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

Cummins brushes off Hafeez’s claim

“Ahh… cool. They played well,” Cummins said followed by a smile.

“It doesn’t really matter, does it? It’s the team who wins at the end,” the Baggy Green’s skipper further added.

ALSO READ | Andrew McDonald hints at Cameron Green as David Warner replacement, says ‘all options will be considered’

Needing 317 runs to win on Day 4 of the MCG Test, Pakistan faced a titanic collapse as they were reduced from 219/5 to 237 all out. Both Cummins and Mitchell Starc were the architects of the Pakistan downfall as they helped Australia end 2023 on a successful note. Cummins ended with figures of 49/5 having also notched a five-for in the first innings.

After the match, Hafeez in the press conference stated, “We played better cricket as a team. I’m proud of that. The way the team had the courage to attack this game in the best possible way. If I sum up the game, the Pakistan team played better than the other team in general.”

“Our batting intent was better, and while bowling, we were hitting the right areas. Yes, we made some mistakes that cost us the game but as a team I believe that there were a lot of positives, enough to win the game but unfortunately at the end we didn’t win the game,” Hafeez further added.

Australia will now search for a whitewash having sealed the series 2-0 with the contest at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) to follow. The match will also mark the end of David Warner’s Test career with him playing at his home ground of SCG. Meanwhile, Pakistan will look to bounce back, knowing a win will help them boost their World Test Championship (WTC) position. The third Test will start on Wednesday (3 January 2024) as both sides will search for a perfect start to the new year.

You can now write for Baazigarnews.com and be a part of the Baazigar family. Share your stories and opinions with us here.