Australia beat India by 6 wickets
Australia caused a major upset by defeating the tournament favorites, hosts India, by six wickets in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final held in Ahmedabad, extending their remarkable record of title victories to seven.
Despite losing three early wickets during their chase, the composed and experienced Australian side clinched a comfortable win at a packed Narendra Modi Stadium on a Sunday evening. The middle-order batsman scored a remarkable 137 runs off 120 balls, while Marnus Labuschagne contributed 58 runs from 110 balls, steering Australia to victory.
This triumph brought the coveted trophy to captain Pat Cummins and his team, despite not being considered favorites at the start of the tournament over six weeks ago. Australia and India commenced their campaigns against each other in Chennai on October 8. In that match, star Indian batter Virat Kohli, alongside KL Rahul, guided their team to victory, setting the tone for India’s initial success. In the final showdown in Ahmedabad, Kohli (54) and Rahul (66) once again tried to salvage India’s innings.
However, a collapse in India’s batting lineup on the grand stage resulted in a modest target of 241 runs at the end of their 50 overs. Australia’s bowlers, spearheaded by Mitchell Starc’s impressive display of fast bowling with figures of 3-55 in his 10 overs, consistently dismantled India’s batting powerhouse with regular dismissals.
Captain Cummins concluded with figures of 2-34 in his 10 overs, while fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood secured 2-60 in his 10 overs. Despite a fiery start by India’s captain Rohit Sharma, who scored 47 runs from 31 balls, apart from Kohli and Rahul, no other Indian batsman posed a threat to the Australian bowlers on a pitch offering a fair balance between bat and ball.
Australia’s previous World Cup victory was at home in 2015. Their seventh title widens the margin with other nations in terms of World Cup victories, including India, who have secured two titles, along with the West Indies. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and England have each won the title once.
Blue jersey throng at Narendra Modi Stadium to witness India vs Australia match
