Australia came from behind to beat the favourites India and win the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Batting first, India were bowled out off the last ball of their innings for 240, which Australia comfortably chased down.
Travis Head struck a match-winning century for the Aussies and ensured no hiccups for his side. Although Australia lost a few quick wickets early in their chase, Head steadied the ship. He got out in the fag end of the chase, leaving Australia's player of the tournament Glenn Maxwell to hit the winning runs.
Marnus Labuschagne, for whom this chase was tailored, was at the other end. He rotated the strike rather well, ensuring he gave company for Head to complete the job. The Aussies did exceptionally well to bowl India out for 240 because the latter's famed batting lineup is not known to yield easily.
This was Australia's sixth World Cup title, following their 1986, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2015 wins. India appeared favourites to win the title for the third time and the second time on home soil. Yet, they were stunned by the Aussies. Before the game, skipper Pat Cummins had vowed to silence the home crowd, and he did so with his stellar showing with the ball in hand.
India, which had won all the games it played leading up to the final, was disappointed with this shocking performance. They had scored a massive 397 against New Zealand in the semifinal and were expected to do the same in the final. Yet, put into bat by the Kangaroos, the famed Indian batting line-up failed to make the most of the occasion. Only the great Virat Kohli showed some pluck with a half-century, along with a late-order assault from KL Rahul and some early courage from skipper Rohit Sharma.
India's bowlers fared badly from the beginning and could not assert their authority over their opponents. Although they picked up the wickets of David Warner, Mitchell Marsh and Steven Smith, they could not break the partnership between Head and Labuschagne. Earlier in the day, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and skipper Cummins shared seven Indian wickets. The former picked up three and the others two each.
Adam Zampa, who equalled the record held by the legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for the most wickets taken by a spinner in a World Cup tournament, proved to be the X-factor. Zampa was at his best by dragging his length short whenever the Indians appeared willing to use their feet. He did not give them much room to free their arms either. Maxwell's off breaks came in handy from the other end.
India will have no one else but themselves to blame for this loss. They took Australia too lightly and miscalculated the latter at their peril. The World Cup threw up some brilliant performances from all the teams, but India were the downright favourites. Australia peaked at the right time and surprised even the most ardent of their fans. They were down and out at one stage and appeared unlikely to qualify for the semifinals. Yet, the Kangaroos again showed why they are so feared in ICC tournaments.