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India vs Australia: The Ultimate Showdown for World Cup Glory

by americanosportscom

trative crisis, and England’s struggles to find their form. But now, as we approach the final, the storm seems to have calmed, and we are left with two teams that have proven themselves to be the best in the tournament – India and Australia.

India, unbeaten in the tournament so far, have been the team of this World Cup. Led by the brilliant Rohit Sharma, they have dominated their opponents with both bat and ball. Their top order, consisting of Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli, has been in scintillating form, consistently scoring big runs. Their bowling attack, spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, has been relentless, picking up wickets at crucial moments.

Australia, on the other hand, have been the team that tends to win these tournaments. They have a history of success in World Cups, with five titles to their name. Led by the inspirational Pat Cummins, they have shown great resilience and determination throughout the tournament. While their batting has been inconsistent at times, they have always found a way to get the job done. Their bowling attack, led by Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, has been their strength, consistently taking wickets and putting pressure on the opposition.

Both teams have a number of match-winners in their ranks. For India, Rohit Sharma has been the standout performer, scoring five centuries in the tournament. Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and KL Rahul have also made significant contributions with the bat. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have been the key wicket-takers for India, consistently troubling the opposition batsmen.

Australia, on the other hand, have relied on their all-rounders to make an impact. Glenn Maxwell has been in sensational form, playing some breathtaking innings. Mitchell Marsh and Steven Smith have also chipped in with crucial runs. Mitchell Starc has been their go-to bowler, consistently taking wickets with his pace and swing. Pat Cummins has led the bowling attack admirably, taking important wickets at crucial moments.

As we approach the final, both teams will be looking to give their all and leave everything on the field. It promises to be a thrilling contest between two powerhouses of world cricket. Can India continue their unbeaten run and lift the trophy? Or will Australia add another World Cup title to their illustrious history? Only time will tell.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch for the final is the same one that was used for the India-Pakistan match earlier in the tournament. It is expected to be a good batting track, with some assistance for the spinners later in the game. The weather is expected to be clear, with no rain forecasted. The temperature will be in the low 30 degrees Celsius range, making it a hot day for cricket.

Team news

Both teams are likely to stick with the same playing XIs that featured in the semi-finals. India, with their settled lineup, are unlikely to make any changes. Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli will lead the batting, while Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami will spearhead the bowling attack.

India (likely):

  • Rohit Sharma (capt)
  • Shubman Gill
  • Virat Kohli
  • Shreyas Iyer
  • KL Rahul (wk)
  • Suryakumar Yadav
  • Ravindra Jadeja
  • Mohammed Shami
  • Jasprit Bumrah
  • Kuldeep Yadav
  • Mohammed Siraj

Australia may consider bringing in Marcus Stoinis in place of Marnus Labuschagne, but Labuschagne’s solid performance in the semi-final might earn him another chance. David Warner, Travis Head, and Mitchell Marsh will be key in Australia’s batting lineup, while Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins will lead the bowling attack.

Australia (likely):

  • David Warner
  • Travis Head
  • Mitchell Marsh
  • Steven Smith
  • Marnus Labuschagne
  • Glenn Maxwell
  • Josh Inglis (wk)
  • Mitchell Starc
  • Pat Cummins (capt)
  • Adam Zampa
  • Josh Hazlewood

Stats and trivia

  • Six players across both teams have played in a World Cup final before, with all of them winning their first final.
  • Jasprit Bumrah has the fifth-best economy rate in the tournament, while Mitchell Starc is the third-highest wicket-taker in World Cup history.
  • Mohammed Shami is already India’s most successful World Cup wicket-taker and has the opportunity to surpass two ODI greats on the list.

Quotes

“The crowd’s obviously going to be very one-sided, but there’s nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent. That’s the aim for us tomorrow.” – Pat Cummins, Australia captain

“We know the expectations, the pressure, and the criticism. We have tried to maintain calmness and react to pressure situations. We are ready for the challenge.” – Rohit Sharma, India captain

Yadav, 11 Mohammed Siraj.

Australia may think about bringing Marcus Stoinis into the team ahead of Marnus Labuschagne, but against an attack of India’s quality, Labuschagne may be the choice again, as it was in the semi-final.

Australia (likely): 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Josh Inglis (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins (capt), 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood.

Stats and trivia

  • Six of the likely players across the two teams have played in a World Cup final before (Kohli, Warner, Smith, Maxwell, Starc, Hazlewood). They all won their first final.
  • Jasprit Bumrah is ranked only joint fifth in terms of wicket-takers this World Cup, with 18 dismissals. But his economy rate is 3.98. To find a better economy rate on the wicket takers’ list, you have to scroll all the way down to 78th, to R Ashwin, who took a single wicket and went at 3.4 runs an over in the one match he played.
  • Mitchell Starc is third on the all-time World Cup wicket-takers’ list, with 62 to his name. But he will need six wickets to match Muttiah Muralitharan, the second-highest wicket taker behind Glenn McGrath.
  • Mohammed Shami, meanwhile, is already India’s most-successful World Cup wicket taker, and will surpass two bona-fide ODI greats on the list if he takes three wickets. Shami is currently on 54 World Cup dismissals, Wasim Akram (fifth on the overall list) had 55, and Lasith Malinga finished on 56.

Quotes

“The crowd’s obviously going to be very one-sided but it’s also in sport there’s nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent and that’s the aim for us tomorrow.”
Australia captain Pat Cummins on playing in a packed Ahmedabad stadium

“We know the expectations, and the pressure, and the criticism. This is not just now, this has been happening since game number one. We have tried to maintain that calmness around the dressing room. Even on the field, when there is a situation where we have been put under pressure, we try to stay calm and just react to that pressure.”
India captain Rohit Sharma on the immense expectation on his team.

Andrew Fidel Fernando is a writer at ESPNcricinfo. @afidelf

Instant answers to T20 questions

TEAM M W L PT NRR
IND 9 9 0 18 2.570
SA 9 7 2 14 1.261
AUS 9 7 2 14 0.841
NZ 9 5 4 10 0.743
PAK 9 4 5 8 -0.199
AFG 9 4 5 8 -0.336
ENG 9 3 6 6 -0.572
BAN 9 2 7 4 -1.087
SL 9 2 7 4 -1.419
NED 9 2 7 4 -1.825

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