MUMBAI, 19 NOVEMBER, 2023 (GPN): CWC 2023: Australia won by 6 Wickets (42 Balls Left) a stupendous victory!

Australia won their sixth ODI World Cup in Ahmedabad on Sunday. India were everyone’s favourites to win the tournament after 10 successive victories but Australia grabbed the trophy for a sixth time.

PM Narendra Modi tweeted on the CWC 2023 Finals Results Congratulating both the Teams for a Splendid Performance

Congratulations to Australia on a magnificent World Cup victory! Theirs was a commendable performance through the tournament, culminating in a splendid triumph. Compliments to Travis Head for his remarkable game today.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 19, 2023

Dear Team India,

Your talent and determination through the World Cup was noteworthy. You've played with great spirit and brought immense pride to the nation.

We stand with you today and always.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 19, 2023

India came into their fourth ODI World Cup final, aiming to get revenge for their loss in the 2003 final. However, it wasn’t meant to be as Rohit Sharma’s men failed to stop the Australian Kangaroo juggernauts in Ahmedabad.

Rohit scored more runs than any captain ever has in one tournament. Kohli scored more than any batter ever has. Shami was the highest wicket-taker despite not playing four matches. These facts mean nothing to them in the moment.

However, in a cricket world with so much professionalism, with the top-three sides having equal access to knowledge, facilities, technology and talent, it is still rare that you can beat the conditions. On the finals the pitch was not in favour of Indians.

An example of how much the pitch changed is how often Marnus Labuschagne dabbed the ball gently behind square for singles; those easy singles hadn’t been available to India. The pitch had been so slow in the afternoon that there was risk involved in manipulating the bat face to pick up singles once the field spread out and the ball became old. Kohli was dismissed in exactly this manner, inside-edging Pat Cummins on to his stumps.

If Rohit’s words at the toss – he said he would have batted first had he won it – actually reflected the team management’s thoughts (sometimes a captain’s words can be just a front), it would be fair to say India misread the conditions. That didn’t matter because Australia won the toss, and they decided to play a different game.

India expected the pitch to keep getting slower and offer more turn, which happened in the Kolkata semi-final. They hoped they could capitalise on the brittleness of Australia’s chasing.

Australia went by recent trends. During this World Cup, batting has consistently become easier under the lights in Ahmedabad. They banked on the pattern continuing, and expected a drier-than-usual pitch to be at its most difficult in the afternoon. They wanted to exploit India’s relative weakness on slow pitches.

The second ball he faced from Josh Hazlewood, who had dismissed him in the teams’ league meeting, Rohit charged and crashed the ball through the covers for four. Rohit was playing the World Cup final like it should have been: just another game. All through the tournament, he had made it easy for India’s middle order by scoring quicker than anyone else in the first powerplay.

Perhaps Rahul could have been braver through the middle overs. Kohli has the game to keep scoring at the strike rate of 80 to 90 without having to hit boundaries. Kohli got a delivery that lifted on that slow pitch and got big on him. On another day the inside edge could have run past the leg stump. Not in this final.

Others have to take risks. It is no rocket science why Rahul didn’t take risks. India’s batting is shallow. I have asked the coaches on more than one occasion at press conferences how the batters have reacted to India not having any batting after No. 7. Particularly now their outlook to risk has changed.Rohit Sharma looked like he was trying to hold back tears. Mohammed Siraj couldn’t. Jasprit Bumrah, who doesn’t let results sway his emotions, consoled him. KL Rahul sank to his knees. Virat Kohli hid his face in his cap. Mohammed Shami walked back dejected.

2003 England Australia Match! Andy Bickell, of kangaroos an all-rounder, took seven wickets. But the kangaroos batted badly in the miiddle order their run rate started crashing. But Bickell stood up and saved the Match.
Gavaskar had said while commenting, Whenever Australia is in trouble One of them stands up saying ‘Today is my day’…and that work was done by Bickel then and Today Travis Head Head did it.
West Indies team stood triumphant for a decade..
Kapil Dev put an end to it in 1983 with Strategic play.
The dominance of the Kangaroo team started by Border since 1987 and it continues till today for 36 years a longest ever in history of Cricket.

By winning six of the Ten World Cups held between 1987 and 2023! Border and Cummins kept alive the tradition, inspite of Warner, Smith being expelled in the biggest Sand Paper Scandal!
Kudos to Australia’s bench strength.
Mohammad Kaif once speaking to GPN said..Aussie players punish their body so much, It’s unimaginable!

Today West Indies could not qualify for world cup has proved Lloyd’s tradition ended long back.But from Don Bradman, the kangaroos kept their winning streak distinctly different than the rest. And today proved that Kangaroos are several steps ahead of other teams.Ends