AHMEDEBAD, India (AP) — Australia appeared in command of the Cricket World Cup final on Sunday after restricting India to 240 all out, with a disciplined bowling performance by the five-time champions quietening the heavily pro-Indian crowd inside the 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium.
Pat Cummins took 2-34 in 10 overs, stunning the crowd into silence by dismissing Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer. Mitchell Starc finished with 3-55 in 10 overs.
Kohli (54) and Lokesh Rahul (66) struck half-centuries for India after the tournament host was put into bat in a bold decision by Australia captain Cummins. Both sides were unchanged from the semifinals.
A slow wicket, some reverse swing and the falling of early wickets — India was reduced to 81-3 in the 11th over — made for tough batting conditions, so Australia still had work to do to earn a record-extending sixth 50-over world title.
India lost its last five wickets for 37 runs in just 8.3 overs, signalling another warning for Australia’s batsmen.
The score was similar to the 2019 final, which went to a super over after New Zealand, then England, made 241. Australia now needs to score the same total to win a sixth World Cup.
India, which has won all 10 of its games at the tournament, is seeking a third world title in this format.
Pre-match, the partisan crowd celebrated like never before at a cricket match, let alone a World Cup final. A string of celebrities, including former winning captains, film stars and prominent politicians were all in attendance, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australia deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.
Just after the toss, Indian Air Force aerobatics demonstration team Suryakiran put on a display to draw raucous applause from the crowd, which would struggle to find reasons to do so again for much of the ensuing innings.
India skipper Rohit Sharma provided another quick start for the home side, hitting four fours and three sixes, but warning signs of an ensuing struggle for runs were never far away.
India lost Shubman Gill early – he was out caught for four runs at mid on off Starc in the fifth over though Sharma’s quick start allowed India to reach 50 off only 39 balls, as he put on 46 off 32 balls with Kohli for the second wicket.
Kohli also enjoyed a strong start, hitting a flurry of boundaries as the Ahmedabad crowd erupted in glee.
But the joy didn’t last long with Glenn Maxwell getting rid of Sharma against the run of play. The batsman had hit the spinner for a six and a four, but got greedy in going for another big shot only for Travis Head, running back from cover, to hold a stunning diving catch to dismiss him.
Cummins then struck his first blow as Shreyas Iyer, who scored back-to-back hundreds in his last two outings, was caught behind for four.
Kohli and Rahul bedded down for a fight thereafter but they struggled under the relentless pressure and the scoring rate fell as the paid fought to preserve wickets. The duo could only add 50 runs from 88 balls, as Australia began to take control of the match.
Kohli reached 50 off 56 balls before playing on off Cummins. The ensuing silence following his dismissal was likely not restricted just to the stadium, spreading across all of India.
India was down to 148-4 from 28.3 overs with only one batting pair remaining. Ravindra Jadeja was moved up the order but the experiment failed when he was caught behind for nine.
Josh Hazlewood picked up two late wickets – Jadeja and Suryakumar Yadav (18) – to head off any chance for India’s lower order to make an impact. He finished with 2-60 in 10 overs.
Adam Zampa finished with figures of 1-44 to equal Mohammed Shami’s 23 wickets in the tournament.
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