While it’s debatable for some that this was not how it was supposed to end for India, we’re still here to dive deeper into what happened. They were heavy pre-tournament favorites to win the World Cup because they would be playing at home in front of a supportive and passionate fan base.
We’ve finally reached the epic conclusion and we’re here to do the final rundown of the tournament finale. Make sure to check the best online cricket betting sites india so you don’t miss the latest cricket tournaments to come.
Quick Recap: India vs Australia
India appeared unstoppable all during the campaign as they glided into the finals after 10 massive victories in all their games, they strived and were destined for victory in every way.
What Went Wrong for India?
There were raised eyebrows when Australia’s captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to let India bat on a dry pitch in Ahmedabad. Cummins gambled on a chase despite the fact that his team has performed better when setting totals than chasing in this World Cup. He was encouraged by the forecast of dew in the evening and worried about the dryness of either end of the wicket.
India and Australia both kept the same XIs from their semifinal victories, with Marnus Labuschagne at fifth and Marcus Stoinis on the bench, respectively. Even though they had an additional spinner in Ravichandran Ashwin, the hosts stuck with three quicks.
There was a deathly hush in the stadium when India lost Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma during the powerplay. However, Virat Kohli, so frequently the man of the moment, gave his adoring supporters something to be excited about as he established a 67-run partnership with KL Rahul.
Fearing that their key bowler Mohammed Shami would have to exert pressure with the bat and ball if they were dismissed, the two batters failed to accelerate at the necessary rate.
Head Didn’t Think He’d Come This Far
Head had been in question to play in the World Cup since he had broken his left hand two months earlier in an ODI match against South Africa. Nonetheless, he was picked, and he proved worthy of his team’s confidence by contributing significantly to their victory.
Head was chosen the Player of the Match for the Championship Trophy final, the semi-final against South Africa, and the final against India. To remove Sharma, Head made a magnificent diving catch, and he then proceeded to smash 137 runs off of 120 balls, putting on an innings for the ages.
Australia’s fielding was pinpoint accurate, with players often getting wickets and diving to prevent boundaries. Their perseverance paid off in the end.
With Australia reduced to 47-3 on the powerplay thanks to Sharma’s seam attack, the stadium’s 130,000 spectators finally had something to cheer about. However, it was more challenging to break the 192-run partnership between Head and Labuschagne.
Unexpected Ending?
Head’s cool performance at the final showed why Australia has a reputation for being able to handle the pressure of playing in a major tournament and still come out on top.
India’s failure came as a result of their spin attack. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja had a tough time picking up wickets against the Australians, who punished them for any poor deliveries they made. It appeared until Sunday that India had pulled off a flawless World Cup. The last dance had just begun. One to which their prime minister Narendra Modi and other notable Bollywood celebs turned up.
Instead, Australia snuck into India’s World Cup celebration and stole the show, winning a record sixth trophy to make the sea of blue jerseys evaporate. When Kohli went to claim the Player of the Tournament trophy, he gazed down at it disillusioned.
Player of the Match: Travis Head
Travis Head, from Australia, is the fourth player in ODI World Cup history to win Player of the Match honors in both the semifinal and final matches. In 1983, Mohinder Amarnath of India became the first person to do so. In 1996, Aravinda de Silva of Sri Lanka did the same thing during his team’s championship run. Shane Warne of Australia accomplished the same feat three years later.
On Sunday, in a 241-run chase against India, Head scored 137 runs to lead his team. Head’s calm knock contained 15 fours and 6 sixes.
Amidst a threatening opening spell from India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, the 29-year-old left-handed batter persevered to become only the second batter in World Cup history to get a hundred while pursuing, joining Aravinda. In addition, Head won Player of the Match honors in the ODI World Cup final, making him the sixth Australian to do so.
Score: India v Australia
| India | 240 | 50 overs |
| Australia | 241/4 | 43 overs |
| Australia won by 6 wickets | ||
India had to work hard for their runs because of the slow wicket, tight bowling, and aggressive defense from Cummins, who wisely won the toss and elected to field. After Australia was reduced to 47 for 3, India appeared to be mounting a comeback, but Head and Marnus Labuschagne buckled down and put up a game-changing 192-run partnership. Australia captured a sixth ODI World Cup championship, while India will look at today as a massive missed chance since they were competing in their backyard, and had been far and away the best squad in the competition. That concludes the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup! Don’t forget that you can keep on betting at the top cricket betting sites in India as there are more cricket betting action to come!