After 48 matches, across 9 cities and a final played in front of 130,000 people at the Narendra Modi Stadium, India's drought without a World Cup in any format extends to 12 years. Australia have claimed their 6th World Cup and fifth in the last seven iterations.
Australia superb in the field
It all started with masterstroke at the toss from the Australian captain, Pat Cummins, who decided to bowl first. After India racked up an enormous score in the semi final, many of their fans would have believed the scene was set.
𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑭𝑰𝑵𝑨𝑳 🏆🏟️#CWC23 #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/gy8IEStr0H
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) November 19, 2023
Cummins, who incidentally became the first captain to win both the ODI World Cup and the World Test Championship as well as being the first specialist bowler to lift the trophy as captain, was outstanding with the ball alongside the rest of fast bowling battery and their leading wicket taker, Adam Zampa. Cummins took the huge wicket of Virat Kohli, stunning the 130,000 strong crowd in to silence.
Virat kohli out after scoring 54 runs in 63 balls
Great bowling by Aus Captain Pat Cummins
#CWC23Final #INDvsAUSfinal pic.twitter.com/8JwVRidxyk— Sardar Saad (@MSSaad_Saeed) November 19, 2023
This sensational bowling and fielding effort restricted India to 240 from their 50 overs. Australia's effort in the field can not be understated, with Travis Head pulling off one of the best grabs in the history of World Cup finals;
Wow what a catch by Travis Head running backward#WCFINAL#Worlds2023#INDvsAUSfinal pic.twitter.com/d05EQz1sbs
— Sardar Saad (@MSSaad_Saeed) November 19, 2023
India fight back
A well below par total but India's bowling attack has been the best by far at this year's tournament. With a sea of blue behind him India's lead wicket taker, Mohammed Shami, removed Australia's long time talisman at the top of the order, David Warner.
⚡ SHAMI STRIKES ⚡
It's the BIG one! David Warner departs for 7 ❌ pic.twitter.com/Uspg6o7qrM— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) November 19, 2023
Despite scoring freely, the Australians still managed to appear under pressure. Mitch Marsh, who had looked so comfortable, got out to a ball he would have struggled to reach with a broom stick while Steve Smith was out LBW but chose not to employ a player review. Had he done so, the decision would have been overturned.
How did Steve Smith not review that?! 😮
Replays show it was hitting him outside the line, he would have survived!
Jasprit Bumrah is not complaining 😁 pic.twitter.com/P07Dg38Fbk— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) November 19, 2023
Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne rebuild
At this point, Australia were still 194 runs shy of victory and all the momentum was with the hosts. It was the man who had lit the touch paper for the Aussies in the field, who now appeared to be their main hope with the bat.
Travis Head, the man they call 'The Bin Lid', took the attack back to the Indians. Along with partner Marnus Labuschagne, they were able to deny India's spinners a sniff. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja had 31 wickets between them in the tournament, they failed to remove a single Australian batsman in the final.
Slog swept into the stands 💫
A massive hit for six from Travis Head 👊#INDvAUS #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/nZqJsRAOHV— Sami Veer (@sami_veer44238) November 19, 2023
Head brings up his hundred
Head deposited Yadav and Jadeja in to stands, while both he and Marnus looked unphased in the face of immense pressure. Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, tried and failed to influence the pace and ease with which the Australians were scoring.
The man from Adelaide brought up his hundred off 95 balls with a run where, had India hit the stumps, he was out by three yards. It is a tale as old as time in sport, 'when it's not your day, it's not your day.' Up against the best cricket team in the world, 130,000 fans in the stadium, 1.4 billion watching at home, it was Travis Head's day.
"A HUNDRED FOR TRAVIS HEAD ON THE BIGGEST OF STAGES" 😍
What an innings! 🔥💯 pic.twitter.com/5NvOmdvEuA— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) November 19, 2023
Head, who had been expected to miss the World Cup due to a hand injury, missed the first 4 games of the tournament but it was a risk Pat Cummins and coach Andrew McDonald believed was worth taking. They also spoke of Labuschagne who hadn't featured in the ODI team until a warm up tour to South Africa where he impressed mightily.
Skipper Pat Cummins discusses the batting heroics of Travis Head & Marnus Labuschagne, who both had remarkable stories en route to the final #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/EIrXikx9md
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 20, 2023
Australia claim sixth World Cup
Australia were crowned champions. What had been built up to as a coronation for both this incredible Indian team and their prime minister Narendra Modi, came crashing down. A stadium in which you could not hear yourself think only a few hours prior, fell totally silent as Glenn Maxwell struck the winning runs.
AUSTRALIA BEAT INDIA BY SIX WICKETS TO WIN THEIR SIXTH WORLD CUP TITLE 🇦🇺🏆 pic.twitter.com/yIZq28n6rr
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) November 19, 2023
Travis Head produced one of the ultimate man of the match performances in a World Cup final. With it, some fans thought on the late, great Shane Warne. Who expressed his belief in the left hander, back in 2016;
I'm a big fan of Travis Head as a cricketer, I believe he will be a future star for Australia in all forms of the game @wwos !!
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) December 6, 2016
Disaster for Indian Prime Minister
It can not be overstated how much pressure was placed on this game by both Narendra Modi's government and the Indian public. Modi has ingrained this cricket team in to his political campaign strategy as well as building the largest stadium in India for this World Cup final. Of course, the stadium is called 'Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.'
This was an upstaged coronation and as the sea of blue began to part and display patches of orange seats, it was clear what a disastrous day this had been for Indian fans. Cummins had declared prior to the game, "In sport there is nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent."
Mission: Accomplished ✅️ 🇦🇺 https://t.co/uwjxq6nVn3
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) November 19, 2023
Modi had prepared an enormous trophy lifting ceremony. He had Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar present the trophy prior to the beginning of play and it was to be Modi himself, who would be presenting it to the winning side. It had evidently not crossed his mind that he could be presenting it to Pat Cummins and their interaction was priceless;
Social Media reaction from Australia's Zampa
There is further footage of the Indian prime minister shaking hands with every Australian player and coaching staff. So it isn't all bad blood between the two nations. Adam Zampa did decide to call out those who had doubted the Australians prior to the tournament and after they lost their opening two matches, via his instagram account;
As well as this, posted to his story on the bus back to the hotel;
Fair to say, we think the Australians weren't holding back in their celebrations. At the culmination of a glorious year for Australian cricket, in which they beat India for the World Test Championship (a game in which Travis Head also scored a hundred), retained the Ashes away from home and have now secured the World Cup. Pat Cummins has entered the echelons of great Australian captains. He can sit back with a cold 'schooner' and look back on a job, supremely well done.
Who would win:
1) A cricketing juggernaut, backed by the hearts and minds of a billion people, playing on a dodgy pitch at a stadium named for their adored PM (who is in attendance), which hasn’t lost for 3 years or so it seems.
2) Travis from Craigmore. pic.twitter.com/1xoTWQfCUT— Paddy Grindlay (@pad_nauseum) November 20, 2023
