NE SPORTS BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, NOV 19
Australia’s Travis Head hit a hundred in the World Cup final against India in Ahmedabad on Sunday as his team closed in on a record-extending sixth title.
Celebrations in the Aussie camp! 🎉#CWC23 #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/qTHNfXXPxG
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) November 19, 2023
Victory for Australia is a crowning moment in what has been a phenomenal year for Pat Cummins’ side across formats, adding to their win over India in the World Test Championship final in June and their subsequent retention of the Ashes.
- With 765 runs in 11 innings, Virat Kohli is the player of the tournament
- Travis Head becomes the fourth player to be adjudged Player of the Match in the semifinal and final
Australia were wobbling at 47-3 in pursuit of a target of 241 against unbeaten tournament hosts India.
But left-handed opener Head’s 95-ball century, including 14 fours and a six, helped take them to 185-3 in the 34th over.
The winning moment 🤩 🇦🇺#CWC23 #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/6p4R3g7H2o
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) November 19, 2023
Australia star batsman Steve Smith was dismissed for just four as India fought back with the ball in the World Cup final at Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Jasprit Bumrah deceived Smith with a slower ball that had the right-hander lbw, the India paceman celebrating wildly with his team-mates as a near full house of around 130,000 fans erupted with joy.
Smith decided against a review and his exit left Australia 47-3 from seven overs, chasing a target of 241 to win a record-extending sixth one-day international World Cup title.
Australia were 60-3 at the 10-over mark, with opener Travis Head 19 not out and Marnus Labuschagne yet to get off the mark, reported Mint.
Earlier, India, bidding for a third World Cup title and second on home soil after their 2011 triumph, were dismissed for 240 after being sent into bat.
Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc took 3-55 and Australia captain Pat Cummins a miserly 2-34 in his maximum 10 overs.
KL Rahul top-scored with 66 but hit only one boundary in 107 balls.
Key batsman Virat Kohli made 54 after India captain Rohit Sharma struck a fluent 47 off just 31 balls opening the innings.
The record five-time champions dismissed unbeaten tournament hosts India, bidding for a third title, for 240. Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc took 3-55 and Australia captain Pat Cummins, who won the toss, a miserly 2-34 in his maximum 10 overs.
KL Rahul top-scored with 66 but hit only one boundary in 107 balls. Star batsman Virat Kohli made 54 after India captain Rohit Sharma struck a fluent 47 off just 31 balls opening the innings.
India skipper Rohit Sharma played another blinder before Australia bounced back to reduce the hosts to 97 for three in 15 overs in the World Cup final. On expected lines, both teams did not make changes to their playing eleven.
On a slow and dry pitch, Australia put India in to bat, something Rohit Sharma wanted to do in front of a packed Narendra Modi Stadium.
Like he has done throughout the tournament, Rohit (47 off 31) took it upon himself to take the attacking route in the powerplay.
He had not succeeded in doing that in India’s league game against Australia but on the big stage, Rohit made sure he did not hold back against the world class pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlwood.
His onslaught began when he stepped out and creamed Hazlewood through the cover before collecting a streakish boundary over mid wicket. In all, he hit three sixes and four boundaries.
Shubman Gill (4 off 7) perished while playing a short arm jab and Virat Kohli joined Rohit in the middle. Kohli struck three consecutive fours off Starc to maintain the momentum generated by Rohit.
However, Rohit fell to a spectacular running catch from Travis Head and an over later Pat Cummins had Shreyas Iyer caught behind to put the pressure on the hosts.
Rohit Sharma led India will bat first at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad for the final of ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. The Men in Blue will aim to post a big total on the board given that dew is expected to affect play during the evening leg of the match.
Led by Rohit Sharma’s belligerence and Virat Kohli’s assurance, the batting unit has clicked in all their games so far. Mohammed Shami’s excellence has led their bowling effort, which has seen both the pacers and spinners thrive.
Meanwhile, a record eighth-final appearance awaits Australia in the World Cup as the five-time champions take on India for the second time in a World Cup final. Their previous meeting happened two decades back, in the 2003 World Cup. The contest was won by Ricky Ponting’s side by a margin of 125 runs.
Breath-taking ✈
A flying start to the #CWC23 Final 🏆#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/DlnQKMTlps
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) November 19, 2023
Pitch Report
Rohit Sharma, for the second day in a row, had a long and hard look at the strip and felt that there was a slight difference from the track on which they played against Pakistan on October 14.
“That wicket (Pakistan game), there was no grass on it. This wicket has some grass on it. That wicket looked a lot more drier than this one – I don’t know, maybe you know, I still haven’t looked today how the wicket is but from my understanding obviously it’s slightly going to be on the slower side.,” the skipper said.
India squad
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Prasidh Krishna, Suryakumar Yadav.
Australia squad
Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc.
