India’s 10-match winning spree ends as they lose second final versus the Aussies
AHMEDABAD, 19 November 2023: Left-handed opener Travis Head scored a valiant century to help Australia clinch the one-day World Cup for a record sixth time at Ahmedabad’s Motera on Sunday.
Returning to open the innings for Australia after missing five preliminary league games, Head’s huge impact on his team’s fortunes continued as he scored 137 off 120 deliveries and shared a 192-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Marnus Labuschagne which earned Australia a six-wicket victory.
Replying to India’s 240 all out from 50 overs, Australia posted 241 for four in 43 overs after Head fell when Australia were just one run short of the Indian total. Head was snapped by Shubman Gill at mid-wicket off pacer Mohammd Siraj (1 for 45) as he sought to hit the winning shot.
This is the second time Australia have defeated India in the title encounter, repeating the triumph of the 2003 World Cup in Johannesburg (South Africa).
Head stabilised Australia’s chase of a modest target after losing three early wickets to avenge their loss to India in the preliminary league encounter of this World Cup, which saw the hosts reach the final with a 10-match winning sequence that ended on a disappointing note in the final in front of a stadium packed with Indian fans.
Head, who completed his century off 95 deliveries, struck four sixes and 15 boundaries and dominated the partnership with Labuschagne (58 not out off 110 balls, four boundaries) which spiked India’s hopes of staging a comeback after dismissing three Australian batsmen with the score on 47.
The boisterous crowd, mostly donning India’s blue shirts, were stunned into silence as Australia gradually gained the upper-hand after skipper Pat Cummins won the toss and opted to bowl first.
Watching in the VIP enclosure were Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Deputy Premier and Defence Minister Richard Marles when Glenn Maxwell hit the winning runs, a double off the only delivery he faced. Modi and Marles jointly handed over the World Cup trophy to Australian captain Cummins.
Head had suffered an injury going into the tournament, but the Australian team awaited his return, even as they suffered initial reverses in the preliminary league matches.
Defending a modest total, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah (2 for 43) dismissed Mitchell Marsh (15 runs) and Steve Smith (4 runs), while his new ball partner Mohamed Shami (1-47) removed David Warner (7 runs) as Australia tottered for a while. Then came the match-turning partnership between Head and Labuschagne that turned the game decisively in Australia’s favour.
Australia have not lost a final of the one-day World Cup since 1996, when Sri Lanka defeated them at Lahore. Earlier, in 1975 they suffered a loss at the hands of the West Indies in the inaugural World Cup.
Incisive Australian paceman Mitchell Starc (3 for 55) was the pick of the Australian attack while captain Pat Cummins (2 for 34) and Josh Hazlewood (2 for 60) gave India a tough time and left the crowd stunned.
Asked to bat first, India seemed set for a good score as skipper Rohit Sharma blasted three sixes and four boundaries to press the accelerator, but his opening partner Gill fell cheaply in the fifth over. Paceman Starc effected the first breakthrough when Gill on four pulled straight to Adam Zampa at mid-on.
Skipper Sharma hit 47 off 31 balls before he fell to an ambition shot against off-spinner Maxwell in the 10th over, miscuing the shot and watching Head take a outstanding diving catch at co.
India suddenly slumped to 81 for three in the next over from Cummins, whose delivery seamed away to induce an edge off Shreyas Iyer’s bat into the safe hands of wicketkeeper Josh Inglis.
Former Indian captain Virat Kohli, coming in for the first time after hitting his 50th one-day century in the semi-final win over New Zealand, helped repair the damage somewhat through his 67-run partnership for the fourth wicket with K.L. Rahul, but the runs mainly came in ones and twos.
Kohli duly posted his half-century, but his 63-ball knock of 54 ended when he played a rising delivery from Cummins on to his stumps. Ravinder Jadeja perished for nine before top-scorer Rahul nicked a Starc delivery to the wicketkeeper. Rahul’s 66 came from 107 deliveries and contained just one hit to the fence.
India’s batting seemed cramped during a dramatic slowdown. The Indian innings saw just four boundaries after the 10th over. India were 80 for the loss of two wickets in the first Powerplay of 10 overs, but managed to compile just 160 more in the remaining 40 overs.
