Ravi Shastri confidently said that India will lift the trophy at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad two days before the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. The World Cup committee for this event planned in a way that all the party was kept for the final only with the stars of Bollywood coming out in numbers at the expense of two World Cup winning captains – Kapil Dev and perhaps, MS Dhoni. BCCI values Bollywood more than Kapil, who changed the face of Indian cricket.
Maybe BCCI thought Kapil could not dance like a Bollywood
star and may not add spice to the party they are planning at Ahmedabad – an
over-confident BCCI wanted the party to rock the cricket world with India
lifting the trophy – but sadly, the party happened everywhere except in
India.
India played outstanding cricket throughout the ICC Cricket
World Cup 2023 and raised the bar so much that they created an aura like the
invincible of the past – West Indies of Sir Clive Lloyd and Australia of Steve
Waugh and Ricky Ponting – they became the team to beat in this tournament and threw
a tough challenge to every team that included Australia, who were thrashed by
the Men in Blue in Chennai.
Virat Kohli’s composure bailed India out on that eventful
night and set the tone for a dream run, which no Indian unit ever experienced
in an ICC event – unbeaten in ten matches in a trot. Their manner of victory
was so ruthless that the fans and experts started discussing the topic “Who
will beat India?” Surely, there is no team in this tournament that can deal
with the ruthless brand of Team India.
But there is one team known as Australia who has a history
of dealing with “Who will beat the X, Y or Z team?” – Australia were the team
that ended the glorious run of all-conquering West Indies in 1995. They halted
Pakistan of Imran Khan in the semifinal of the Reliance World Cup 1987 by
silencing the vociferous crowd at Lahore and triggering fatal heart attacks
across Pakistan. The Ashes was retained in a dominating fashion in 1989 after
almost seven years despite being the underdogs against a competent English
unit. The hot favourites South Africa experienced the toughness of Australia in
the ICC Cricket World Cup 1999 while the brilliance of Pakistan was tamed in
the final at Lord’s.
There had been so many times the Australians stepped up to
accept the challenges and silenced everyone and once again – Team India asked
Australia whether they could beat them in their own backyard in the final of
the greatest show in cricket amid the sea of blue in the Narendra Modi Stadium
at Ahmedabad.
The Australian skipper Pat Cummins, over the years, has
experienced the ups and downs in a cricket match – the final of the World Test
Championship and Ashes in England had tested the mental and physical limits of
Cummins and his boys, but also, made them battle-hardened. Cummins knows very
well how to deal with pressure like his predecessors and bounce back in time
when it is needed the most.
When the stage is big, similarly to Real Madrid - Australia
loves to own it rather than standing back and clapping for the winners. In
world cricket, there is hardly any team that can match the self-belief and
professionalism of Australia.
After losing back-to-back matches in the World Cup for the
first time since 1992 – Cummins and co knew what they needed to do. While India
went on a rampage, Cummins was traveling through the choppy waters where he was
challenged against New Zealand, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and South Africa in the
semifinals– Cumimns and Australia prevailed in the nail-biters. They were one
match away from the sixth triumph but the team was the mighty India.
Cummins won the toss and surprised everyone by choosing to
field first.
The deck was slow and required immediate adjustment by the
bowlers – Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc did not take enough time
to adapt and get the length right from word go. Each of the pacers dragged
length back and maintained the tighter line that they used against South Africa
at Kolkata.
The length had deceived Shubman Gill to attempt a pull and
was out caught – but Rohit Sharma was in the mood to kill Australia until
Travis Head produced a Kapil Dev-like moment to dismiss him with the
momentum-shifting catch.
ESPNcricinfo states, “Rohit had already slammed ten runs in
two balls from Glenn Maxwell's second over, when he stepped into another slap
over the long-off boundary and miscued high out into the covers. Travis Head
tracked back from point with the ball skewing high over his shoulder, and with
his eyes never leaving the prize, timed his dive to perfection to cling on with
both hands.”
Australia slowed down India’s attacking intent and when
Virat Kohli looked to flex his arms after reaching his half-century – Cummins
got him with the length that prompted Virat to play onto his stumps. There was
no respite for Ravindra Jadeja and Surya Kumar Yadav as the length factor was
exploited smartly by Australia and the use of the slow-ball bouncer was in
effect. KL Rahul dished out an epic vigil but that was ended by the length of
Starc while Hazlewood was a hard nut to crack.
In between, Maxwell, Adam Zampa, and Mitchell Marsh
delivered the goods that supported Australia’s plan to keep India silent with
the bat. Above all, the Australian fielding was top-notch and saved extra runs to
pile more pressure on India.
From the 11th to 40th over Australia leaked around 80 runs
with the ball.
As a skipper the field placement of Cummins had struck the
right chord according to the bowling changes – Cummins was the leader of men
and his self-confidence in the middle was contagious which inspired the Aussies
to go for the sixth glory.
India had been bowled out for 240 – still, against the best
team in the tournament chasing this total would never be easier, and at 47 for
3- it seemed, India would run riot.
Travis Head and Marnus Labsuchagne decided to relive the
memories of Aravinda de Silva, Asanka Gurisinhge, and Arjuna Ranatunga in
Lahore in 1996.
Labuschagne dropped the anchor while Head played his shots
and rotated the strike smartly.
The situation did not demand any rustiness but a Test match
like batting where the balls would be hit according to their merit and milking
the singles and twos by picking up the gaps. Labuschagne’s sheet anchor role
helped Head to flourish over by over and run by run – Rohit kept on rotating
his bowlers but they leaked runs as Head never let them settle and adjust their
line and length – the dew factor was evident during the fourth wicket stand of
192, but exploiting the conditions and absorbing the pressure of playing in the
final make the factor irrelevant.
Head joins the list of the legends who scored hundreds in
the final for a winning cause and when he was dismissed Australia required two
to win that finished by Maxwell.
India were the choice of many to lift the trophy but Cummins and Australia ultimately silenced Narendra Modi Stadium with his sheer boldness, intelligence, and leadership qualities – Australia deserves to win the title for the sixth time.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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