Australia ‘silence’ host India to clinch sixth ODI World Cup

|| CF DESK ||

"In sport there's nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent" Australia captain Pat Cummins said yesterday, and today [Sunday] the mighty Aussies thumbed the unbeaten host India by six wickets in the World Cup final in front of nearly 130,000 fans in Ahmedabad to clinch their sixth silverware.

Opener Travis Head played a stellar innings, scoring 137 runs, leading Australia to a historic sixth World Cup title.

Australia faced a tricky target of 241 in the final and encountered a shaky start at 47-3. However, Head, displaying his left-handed prowess, secured his second century of the tournament, steering the team to victory with seven overs to spare.

Head's remarkable performance, coupled with his substantial 192-run partnership with Marnus Labuschagne (unbeaten on 58), ended India's dominant streak of 10 unbeaten matches at the event.

Head eventually fell after a 120-ball innings that included 15 fours and four sixes, paving the way for Glenn Maxwell to hit the winning runs and ignite wild celebrations in the Australian camp.

India's hopes of ending their global trophy drought since the 2013 Champions Trophy dwindled as Head and Labuschagne dominated the proceedings.

Head's century marked the seventh in a World Cup final and the third by an Australian, following Ricky Ponting's 140 not out against India in 2003 and Adam Gilchrist's 149 against Sri Lanka in 2007.

The victory was set up by Australia's bowlers, who orchestrated an impressive comeback after two initial losses. Mitchell Starc (3-55) and Pat Cummins (2-34) played pivotal roles in bowling out India for 240.

India retaliated with Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah sharing the new ball, with Shami dismissing David Warner for seven. Bumrah's double strike, removing Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith, added excitement to the contest.

Despite captain Rohit Sharma rotating his bowlers in search of a breakthrough, Head and Labuschagne stood firm, thwarting the Indian attack.

Head's journey to the World Cup victory was particularly notable, considering he had suffered a fractured hand in South Africa in September. Australia persisted with him in the squad, and he repaid the faith with a match-winning century against New Zealand and a crucial 62 in the semi-final against South Africa.

Having already proven to be India's nemesis earlier in the year with a decisive 163 in Australia's World Test Championship triumph at the Oval in June, Head reached his century in 95 balls, acknowledging the applause from the Australian dressing room.

Australia's decision to field first proved effective, with disciplined bowling and impressive fielding backing up Cummins' captaincy. Virat Kohli and KL Rahul made notable contributions for India, but the slow, dry pitch favored the bowlers.

Head's exceptional fielding, including a stunning catch while running back from cover point to dismiss Rohit Sharma off spinner Maxwell, added to Australia's dominance.

Cummins' crucial dismissal of Kohli further silenced the crowd of 92,453 fans, creating an unforgettable day for the Australian team in the middle.