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The time has come to decide who will lift the World Cup trophy. After having 47 matches, the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup is set to feature its grand finale game tomorrow, where home team India will face off against the mighty Australia at Narendra Modi Stadium. Can India lift the World Cup glory for the third time, or Australia continue their dominance in the ODI Cricket?
Preview
India, the host, is flying in the World Cup. They are the only team to remain unbeaten in this tournament. India showed their capability in both bowling and batting, making them a favorite contender for the World Cup. Teams like South Africa, New Zealand, England, and even Australia couldn’t beat India in this ICC Event.
Meanwhile, Australia started their journey in the World Cup with two back-to-back defeats. But the Aussies made a fantastic U-turn and got back their MIGHTY form. They won their following seven games in the group round and defeated South Africa in the semifinal to book their place in the final.
The stage is ready for tomorrow’s clash between India and Australia. Fans all over the world are expecting a high-voltage match in the grand finale.
Two Key Stats
- India and Australia played 150 games against each other in ODI Cricket, where the Aussies are leading the stats. Australia registered 83 victories, while India won in 57 games. The remaining 10 games ended in a tie.
- In the ODI World Cup matches, both sides faced off against each other in 13 games. Australia won more World Cup meetings too against India, winning eight of those matches. However, India won five times.
Team News
India have been playing six games with the same squad. Coach Rahul Dravid is unlikely to break the winning combination in the final against Australia. However, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has trained and bowled in the net following his injury. But his chances of getting into the team are very low.
The same goes for Australia. They are likely to keep the same XI that defeated South Africa in the semifinal. Against the Proteas, Australia dropped Marcus Stoinis and included Marnus Labuschangne. Labuschagne is likely to continue tomorrow.
Probable XI for India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Probable XI for Australia: David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Virat Kohli on focus
Virat Kohli has been one of the most outstanding performers in this World Cup, becoming the top scorer. Kohli has also smashed three centuries along with five half-centuries. In addition, Virat Kohli broke Sachin Tandulker’s records by getting his 50th century!
Australia must take Virat Kohli’s wicket as early as possible. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to beat India in the final.
