Australia beat India in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 to lift their sixth ODI title at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Undeterred by the strong home crowd, the record champions cruised to the 241 target on the back of a brilliant partnership between centurion Travis Head and semi-centurion Marnus Labuschagne. Furthermore, the Australian bowling attack was prolific with the ball, collecting seven of the 11 wickets on offer and restricing the unbeaten hosts to a low total. (As It Happened | Scorecard | Full Coverage)
Rohit Sharma (left) and Virat Kohli (right) during CWC 23 Final AP
India
Rohit Sharma - 6/10: Sharma started things off at a blistering pace but gave away his wicket cheaply three short of a half century. The Indian batting beyond the captain collapsed quickly, setting a target of 240 for Australia to chase, which would have been significantly lower if not for his superb knock.
Shubman Gill - 3/10: Gill's no stranger to the Ahmedabad pitch given his gig as a Gujarat Lions player in the Indian Premier League. However, the young Indian batter showed no signs of comfort during his brief cameo in the final, which ended in four runs from seven balls.
Virat Kohli - 6/10: Kohli raced to his fifth consecutive 50+ score in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 but walked back to the pavilion shortly after. The Indian talisman stabilised things when his side needed him the most, but fell largely short of expectations that he himself has set with his outstanding displays across the tournament.
Shreyas Iyer - 3/10: Perhaps the most disappointing individual display of a disparaging inning; Iyer, coming into the final on back-to-back centuries, failed to get going and surrendered his wicket with just four runs on the board.
KL Rahul - 7/10: India's outstanding player of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final, KL Rahul scored the most runs of any in his team (66) and even helped dismiss Mitchell Marsh in the second innings - breaking a two-decade-old record in the process.
Ravindra Jadeja - 3/10: Though economical with the ball, Jadeja failed to leave any significant dent in the Australia bowling attack during his stay at the crease. The Indian all-rounder picked up nine runs in 22 deliveries before going for 43 in ten overs sans a wicket.
Suryakumar Yadav - 4/10: Far removed from the destructive force we have come to know him as, Yadav was reserved in his approach in the final, perhaps, because that was what the occassion demanded of him after his team had lost quick wickets. He walked back with 18 in 28, concluding a below-par tournament for himself.
Mohammed Shami - 5/10: India's matchwinner in the semi-final with seven wickets, Shami was not as effective in the final against Australia. After a superb start to his spell, during which he picked up David Warner's wicket, he failed to stamp his authority, and was unable to have a similar impact.
Jasprit Bumrah - 5/10: Despite picking up two early wickets - of the dangerous Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith - Bumrah largely failed in his quest to dislodge the Australian batting unit, and was easily dealt with by Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne.
Kuldeep Yadav - 3/10: Australia figured Yadav out quickly and glided through his ten-over-spell on cruise control. He went for 5.6 an over and was unable to pick up any wickets.
Mohammed Siraj - 3/10: The third pacer of the Indian bowling attack, picked to continue his run in the team despite many speculating Ravichandran Ashwin's inclusion pre-match, Siraj faced adversity and only managed to dimiss Travis Head after the batter had put up 137 of his own runs on the board.
Australia
David Warner - 4/10: Despite starting the innings on the front foot, Warner gave away his wicket early - and cheaply. He walked back from what was, probably, his last ODI World Cup final, with just seven runs on the board.
Travis Head - 10/10: After the Australian top orders' early collapse, Head took over the responsibility of pulling his team over the line and did so with a ton to his name. Having taken a superb catch to dismiss Rohit Sharma in the first innings, Head later partnered with Marnus Labuschagne in an unyielding partnership that eventually led the Aussies to a historic sixth title.
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Mitchell Marsh - 5/10: Marsh got off to a quick start and looked settled on the crease before being dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah. Big things were expected of the Australian batter, but he fell below expectations in the final.
Steve Smith - 4/10: The experienced Smith managed to put just four runs on the board before he was declared out for a dangling leg between the wickets.
Marnus Labuschagne - 10/10: When Labuschagne walked onto the field, Australia had lost David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, and Steve Smith for just 47 runs. Anchoring the Australian innings like a seasoned test-match batter, Labuschagne walked so that Head could run, providing his partner with the perfect foil at one end while he went for the big hits to take his team over the line. The Australian batter was rewarded for his efforts when he crossed the 50-run-mark, and was on the field when they won their sixth title.
Glenn Maxwell - 6/10: It was Maxwell, who untimately scored the winning runs for Australia's sixth ICC Cricket World Cup triumph. However, his most telling contribution of the game came with the ball when he dismissed hitman Rohit Sharma, putting a halt to India's blistering start.
John Inglis - 7/10: Inglis' contribution was the kind that largely goes unnoticed. Keeping the wickets for the Aussies, he took five catches behind the wickets, dimissing the Indian middle order and bowlers and restricting India to a meagre 240.
Mitchell Starc - 9/10: Proving his worth to the Australian attack with each ball he bowled, Starc ended the match as Australia's most prolific bowler with three wickets. He dismissed the dangerous KL Rahul and Shubman Gill and later picked up Mohammed Shami's wicket in India's late collapse.
Pat Cummins - 7/10: Though he did not enjoy the best of tournaments, Cummins showed his class with two wickets in the final win against India. The Australian pacer dismissed dangerman Virat Kohli and also claimed Shreyas Iyer's wicket to complete a brilliant day at the office for the now six-time world champions.
Adam Zampa - 6/10: A record-breaker for Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup, Zampa finished the final with one wicket and an economy of 4.4 runs per over, helping his team stifle the Indian batters.
Josh Hazlewood - 7/10: While he went for an expensive 60, Hazlewood also picked up two wickets along the way to complete an outstanding day at the office for the Australian pace attack.
