Pat Cummins' first World Cup experience was one he will always savour. Just hours after the Australian team defeated New Zealand in the final at the MCG, the 21-year-old declared it "the best day of my life".
And the good news kept coming for the Mt Riverview native. Two days after the World Cup win, he was selected in the Australia A team to tour India in July.
He has also returned to the Cricket Australia fold, one of just 19 elite players awarded a contract for 2015-16 after missing out the previous year because of injury. The minimum contract is valued at $260,000.
Cummins, who burst on to the cricket scene as an 18-year-old with a stunning Test debut, has experienced a roller-coaster ride since, sidelined by a back injury and working to remodel his bowling action.
He returned to top-class cricket last summer, impressing in two one-day internationals against South Africa and performing well for the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League.
His performances were good enough to earn him a position in the 15-man World Cup squad.
He played a pool game against New Zealand, taking 2-38, but suffered side soreness afterwards and was unavailable for subsequent matches against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, before taking the field again against Scotland, when he took 3-42.
He and fellow quick Josh Hazlewood vied for selection as third speedster after Mitch Starc and Mitch Johnson, with Hazlewood preferred in the knock-out stages.
But as an integral part of the squad, he celebrated as happily and heartily as his teammates after the final.
He has been selected in both the one-day and four-day teams for the tour of India, which will mean a return to red ball cricket for Cummins, who hasn't played a first-class game in more than 18 months.
It also provides him with a golden opportunity to show selectors he is ready again for Test cricket.
Cummins has played only one Test for Australia, against South Africa in Johannesburg, where he took 6-79 in the second innings, hit the winning runs and was named man of the match.
