Pat Cummins has acknowledged that Australia’s recent ODI resurgence seemed distant even six months ago, before wins against India and Pakistan gave them a surge of confidence, in time for the World Cup.

“It is a really special group we have here. Enjoying each other’s company, enjoying playing cricket, it is really relaxed,” Cummins said, in the middle of a one-week break for the Australian team, who are currently sitting on top of the points table. “If you asked who was going to be in the World Cup side six months ago, almost none of us would have said we are 100% going to be there. Now we have 15 here, five who are unlucky to miss out.

“We have come so far, and we are playing the way we always said we wanted to. Everyone’s in great form, everyone’s relaxed.”

After their 4-1 win against Pakistan in January 2017, Australia had failed to win a single bilateral ODI series until this year, when they clinched back-to-back series against India and Pakistan in March.

Before those twin series wins, Australia had sealed a 2-0 whitewash in the shortest format, on the same India tour in February, having shared the home T20I series against the same opposition 1-1. Cummins said that the win in the second T20I, in Bengaluru, gave the side the required belief ahead of the World Cup.

“I think that Indian series win, probably the T20 series win, to be honest [was the turnaround moment]. At Bangalore, Maxi [Glenn Maxwell] hit a hundred and we won seemingly out of nowhere.

“It gave us real confidence, beating the best side in the world, in their own conditions. It really felt like a special group, a couple of really special wins where we felt like we could win from anywhere.

“It’s pretty infectious when you have that feeling around the group. Luckily, we have held on to it.”

Barring their 36-run defeat to India at The Oval last month, Australia have won all their other games at this World Cup, and are slated to face South Africa in their final league game, before the semi-finals commence.

Cummins expressed satisfaction at his own showing with the ball; having started as Mitchell Starc’s new-ball partner in the tournament, Cummins has switched to the role of first-change, and currently has 12 wickets from eight games.

“I feel really happy, to be honest. Haven’t taken the new ball, but Jason [Behrendorff] and Starcy [Starc] have been brilliant upfront,” he said. “My job has been to hold it back a bit and, hopefully, they [batsmen] will take a risk. Feel like I have done that pretty well.”