Cameron Green showed his quality in Galle.Credit:Getty Images
While he is yet to make a Test century,Green’s maturity and poise at 23 had Cummins and other senior teammates such as Usman Khawaja in something like awe at the young all-rounder’s progress,having themselves experienced years of trial and error in these parts.
“He’s always been a fast learner,but that’s even surprised us how fast he’s learnt out there,” Cummins said. “From ball one,really sharp,a really clear method. It’s a credit to him and the coaches how they’ve worked over the last couple of weeks.
“Speaking to some of[the] older guys as well to find his method,and then just being brave enough to try it. It’s one thing to speak about it,but to be brave enough to go out there … couldn’t be happier for him. That was the difference in the end.”
In that sense,Green and the wicketkeeper Alex Carey were exemplars of how Australia’s batters were able to prosper,committed to their plans and unflustered by the turning,spitting ball. Cummins said the two key words used around batting had been “proactive” and “brave”.
″You saw some really clear methods from all the batters,they might have been individually a bit different,but you saw everyone being really proactive and putting the pressure right back on their bowlers,” Cummins said. “That’s the really pleasing thing – it’s something you talk more about in one-day cricket or Twenty20 cricket,but that’s the style over here that’s needed.”
With the ball,Cummins enthused over Mitch Swepson’s contribution in concert with Nathan Lyon,claiming,with a pair of classic leg breaks,the middle-order wickets on day one that ensured Sri Lanka would not take full advantage of winning the toss.