Australia has won the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup defeating fan favorites and host nation India by six wickets at Narendra Modi Stadium to lift the coveted trophy for the sixth time today.
Travis Head, named player of the match, pummelled India’s world-class bowlers throughout the run chase, scoring a masterful 137 (120) to help Australia chase the 241-run target with 42 balls to spare.
The 29-year-old, who also claimed a game-changing catch, smacked 15 boundaries and four sixes during his heroic knock, becoming the seventh cricketer and third Australian to score a century in a World Cup final.
Head, who missed the first half of the tournament with a wrist injury, combined with Marnus Labuschagne (58* from 110 balls) for an epic 192-run stand, the second-highest partnership in World Cup finals, to rescue Australia after an early collapse of 3-31 during the Powerplay.
It completes a triumphant six months for Pat Cummins’ Australians, who won the World Test Championship final in June and retained the Ashes on foreign soil in July.
Meanwhile, the Indians are left licking their wounds after dominating the tournament but tripping at the final hurdle.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma feasted on Australia’s quick’s during the Powerplay, blasting three sixes and four boundaries to get the hosts off to a flying start.
Starc created the first breakthrough of the afternoon, removing opener Shubman Gill in the fifth over for four; the young gun slapped a short delivery directly towards mid-on, where Adam Zampa swallowed a regulation catch.
India was suddenly in a spot of bother at 3-81 in the eleventh over – but masterpiece Virat Kohli remained.
Kohli, who was also named the player of the tournament, brought up a half-century, his ninth of the tournament, in 56 deliveries; he was in complete control, seemingly on track to repeat his semi-final heroics — until Cummins struck in the 29th over.
KL Rahul reached his half-century in 86 deliveries before Australia’s seamers began unearthing some reverse swing.
