Asif Iqbal
Srinagar: Australia on Sunday evening exhibited power and displayed it’s all-round grit and determination to lift the coveted World Cup trophy for a record sixth time.
On a pitch that was expected to favour the team batting first, Australia surprisingly opted to bowl after winning the toss. Rohit Sharma on the other hand expressed his optimism in batting first, but it wasn’t to be!
The impactful duo of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill failed to do much as Gill fell early. Sharma joined by Kohli tried to consolidate the innings, however adding 46 runs, Rohit too went to the pavilion. The wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul was the highest scorer for his team with 66 runs, followed by Kohli with 54 runs. The other batters, including Surya Kumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja failed to impress as India was bowled out for a below par score of 240 runs – courtesy some worth remembering bowling performances from Australian bowlers led from the front by season campaigner Mitchell Starc with 3 scalps.
Skipper Patt Cummins and Hazlewood picked up two wickets each with one wicket apiece by Maxwell and Zampa.
Given the best bowling performances in ages from Indian bowling unit throughout the event, many fancied that India would yet again subdue Australia, as it had in previous outing. The Indian bowling unit didn’t disappoint either as it had three quick wickets.
However it was all that it could have as Travis Head alongside his crime partner Marnus Labuschagne stole the limelight with their cool and composed batting display to give their team a historic win and in course the coveted trophy for record sixth time.
The Head-Labuschange also recorded the highest second wicket partnership in a World Cup final. Travis Head who was lately included in the squad, scored a brilliant ton – an innings that had reminisce of that brilliant ton by the compatriot Ricky Ponting in 2003 and simultaneously of the one by Adam Gilchrist in 2007.
– This report will be updated as information pours in
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