“I thought the way Marnus (Labuschagne), Trav Head, Cam Green took the game was a really good model for all the really alien conditions we could expect.
“We can be the type of team that is brave enough to take that positivity overseas if we need it. I think that puts us in an ideal position.
“I’m really excited about the upcoming Pakistan tour. We have played very well here in Australia. Now it’s up to us to take him overseas.
“To be the best team in the world you have to win at home but, more importantly, you have to succeed abroad.
“That’s the challenge for this team. We haven’t played much abroad in the last two years.
“This is hopefully just the start. I feel like we’re all in a great place. There are no imminent retirees, hopefully.
Cummins was thrust into the captaincy towards the end of the season after Tim Paine resigned due to a sexting scandal, but it didn’t affect his position as the world’s top-ranked bowler.
Australia celebrate after winning the fifth test.Credit:Getty Images
He finished the series’ top wicket-taker with 21 at an average of 18 after missing the second test in Adelaide as a close contact with COVID.
“That was probably my biggest worry accepting the role of captain,” Cummins said. “I’m on the team as a bowler, I want to make sure it’s protected and I’m able to perform as well as I want to.
“Every game I felt better about handling it. I could really disconnect, take off the captain’s hat and just be a bowler for my overs.
“Even little things about bowling changes and moving fields between my overs, I felt like I handled that better as the series went on. It is an extremely pleasant thing.
“It might be tough in the heat, but I feel like it’s something I’ll only get better at.”
Captaining Australia’s cricket team was once described as the country’s second most important role after prime minister, but Cummins didn’t find that all-consuming.
“There’s more control, but in terms of the actual role on the pitch and conversations around the dressing room, it’s manageable. It’s not much different to what I would have as a bowler anyway.
“I just have to cross a little more. The role is big and important, but it’s probably not as complete as I thought maybe when I first took it on, but then again, I think the biggest challenges are going to be ahead.
“We’re lucky to live in a time when we have incredible support staff that take a lot of the stress out of what a traditional captain might have had in terms of strategy, man management, that sort of thing. .”
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