AHMEDABAD: Travis Head’s century and Marnus Labuschagne’s important 58 not out led Australia to their record sixth World Cup title with a six-wicket win over India in 2023 final at Narendra Modi Stadium, here on Sunday.
Australia is crowned World Cup champions for the sixth time, having lifted the prestigious on five occasions before in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2015.
A crowd of over 100,000 at the Narendra Modi Stadum saw power-packed Australia bowl out India for 240 and then gallop to victory in the 43rd over.
India, who were on a 10-match winning streak were fancying their chances to defend a low score and to lift their third title but Travis Head swept away their hopes.
Set to chase a modest 241, Australia comfortably knocked off the winning runs in 43 overs, courtesy of a match-winning fourth-wicket partnership between Head and Labuschagne.
Australia found themselves in a state of bother earlier in the run chase when they slipped to 47/3 in just seven overs with in-form openers David Warner (7), Mitchell Marsh (15) and experienced batter Steve Smith (4) perishing cheaply.
The left-handed opener put together a match-winning 192-run partnership with Marnus Labushagne which put Australia in touching distance to their record victory.
Head was the core aggressor of the magnificent stand while Labuschagne batted cautiously to make sure he did not throw away his wicket.
The opener, however, could not score the winning runs for his team as he smashed a short delivery from Mohammed Siraj straight to Shubman Gill at deep midwicket.
Travis Head top-scored for Australia in the ICC World Cup 2023 final with a brilliant 137. His 120-ball knock featured 15 boundaries and four sixes.
Coming out to bat at number five, Glenn Maxwell wasted no time and scored the winning runs for Australia as he pulled Siraj for a couple.
Labuschagne, who played an anchoring role in Australia’s World Cup victory remained unbeaten on 58. He faced 110 deliveries and hit four boundaries.
For India, Jasprit Bumrah bagged two wickets while Siraj and Shami could pick up a wicket.
India’s ‘mighty’ batting lineup misfired in the all-important World Cup 2023 final as pacers-led Australia restricted the hosts to 240.
Australia’s captain Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bowl in the final clash of the ICC World Cup 2023 against India.
Mitchell Starc gave his side the first breakthrough when he dismissed Shubman Gill (4) with a mere 30 runs on board.
However, India captain Rohit Sharma continued to attack and added 46 runs for the second wicket with Virat Kohli before perishing courtesy of a brilliant catch by Travis Head off Glenn Maxwell.
Sharma played a quick knock of 47 runs off 31 balls, featuring four boundaries and three sixes.
Australian captain Pat Cummins picked his first wicket as Shreyas Iyer (4) walked back to the pavilion in the next over with the scoreboard reading 81-3 in the 11th over.
Kohli (54) hit Starc for three boundaries in a row but India slumped to 81-3 in the 11th over when Cummins dismissed Shreyas Iyer caught behind.
Kohli and Rahul (66) then combined in a dour rebuilding job even if it meant going 16.1 overs without a boundary.
Kohli, the tournament’s leading scorer, brought up his ninth 50-plus knock in 11 innings but soon departed after chopping a Cummins delivery on to his stumps.
Australian bowlers kept their side in the dominant position with their disciplined bowling, not allowing Indian batters to score freely.
KL Rahul top-scored for India with a scratchy innings of 66 runs from 107 balls with a single boundary before getting caught behind off Mitchell Starc leaving his side reeling at 203-6 in the 42nd over.
Suryakumar Yadav then played a shaky innings of 18 runs off 28 balls amid falling wickets at the other end until Josh Hazlewood got him caught behind off a slower short-pitched delivery.
Australian bowlers wrapped up the Indian innings off the final ball of the innings as Kuldeep Yadav got run out with 240 runs on board.
Starc topped the wickets chart with three wickets, while Cummins and Hazlewood picked two wickets each. Australia wicketkeeper Josh Inglis took five catches, which is a record in a World Cup final.
World Cup 2023 Final
Both teams remain unchanged for the clash at the world’s biggest cricket stadium where Australia, playing in an eighth final, look for a sixth title.
India won the World Cup in 1983 and then again on home soil in 2011.
Rohit Sharma’s India have won all their 10 matches at the tournament and retain the winning XI from their 70-run semi-final win over New Zealand in Mumbai on Wednesday.
The hosts are looking to end a global title drought since their Champions Trophy win in 2013.
Red-hot Virat Kohli leads the tournament batting chart with 711 runs after he smashed a record 50th ODI century in the semis to surpass compatriot Sachin Tendulkar’s 49 tons.
Fast bowler Mohammed Shami tops the bowling list with 23 wickets in six matches.
In the group stage, Australia lost to India in their opener by six wickets and to South Africa by 134 runs before putting together an eight-game winning streak.
Australia hammered India in the 2003 World Cup final in Johannesburg.
Teams
India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wkt), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
Australia: David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins (capt), Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
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