As the Australian captain savoured his team’s global triumph at The Oval on Sunday, he was asked to transport his mind seven weeks hence to the same London venue after the fifth and final Ashes Test.
“The great thing about this final is we feel like we’ve played awesome cricket for the last two years and being there at the end holding the trophy feels really well deserved. That’s great for our team,” said the proud skipper.
“But I’d say whether we like it or not, Ashes tend to define eras and teams. Ashes are bloody hard to win. I think it’s been 20-odd years.
“It’s not going to be easy – but if we were to win it, that is legacy-defining stuff.”
With barely any time to really savour becoming world champs before next Friday’s Ashes opener at Edgbaston, the skipper reckoned his men would be doing their utmost to enjoy, however briefly, a “special achievement”.
“We’ll sit around in the changing rooms for a while and then find a nice sunny English beer garden somewhere, probably this afternoon, to sit back and celebrate,” he beamed.
“It’s been an amazing two years. We’ve had this final in the diary for a while. It’s been something we’ve been building up for so it’s something we’re going to savour.
“I know we’ve got a big series coming up but we can worry about that in a couple days’ time. You only get a few of these moments in your career where you can sit back, acknowledge a pretty special achievement – and that’s one of these times.”
This match had, inevitably, been viewed largely through the prism of the forthcoming Ashes blockbuster but after winning such a fittingly compelling World Test decider, the Australian players, rightly, were determined that it needed to be appreciated properly.
“We’ve seen it as one big tour with two huge titles to play for – and good to tick the first one off,” said Cummins.
Nathan Lyon and Steve Smith quickly shot down the idea that the urn, for the Ashes, was more important than the mace, for the WTC – or vice-versa.
“Both trophies. It’s a silly question. You’re asking a professional athlete if they want to lose,” reckoned spinner Lyon, when asked to choose.
“I can’t say either is bigger, they’re both big,” agreed Smith. “We’ve played for two years to win this – and winning an away Ashes is big.”