Australian skipper Pat Cummins responded fittingly to Pakistan Team Director Mohammad Hafeez's assertion of superiority, despite losing the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Cummins, who claimed 10 wickets in the match, expressed contentment with Australia's emphasis on winning.
Post-match, Hafeez contended that Pakistan had outperformed Australia in various aspects of the Test, attributing Australia's victory to narrow margins. He also criticized the inconsistent umpiring and Decision Review System (DRS) during Pakistan's run-chase.
In response, Cummins, quoted during a Fox Sports press conference, casually
stated, "Ahhhh. Cool. They played well. I am glad we got the win. It doesn’t really matter, does it? It is the team who wins at the end."
The turning point in the game occurred when Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed during Pakistan's pursuit of 318. Cummins delivered an exceptional ball, and the third umpire ruled that the ball had nicked Rizwan's wristband before reaching wicketkeeper Alex Carey. Rizwan expressed dissatisfaction with the decision.
Reflecting on his performance, Cummins commented, "Personally, I think (I’m) really happy for a few reasons. Probably the one main reason is it is the best that I felt like I have bowled for a little while. My rhythm felt really good. I felt like I had good pace. I knew where my wrist was. I could control the seam. I bowled some good bouncers. So I felt really happy with how I was bowling. And as a team, it was just a huge year in all formats. We had a lot of success and to top it off by winning a series at home, which we pride ourselves on doing, is pretty satisfying."
Australia secured a 2-0 series win with a 79-run victory, and the final Test is scheduled to commence on January 3.