It's all set for a blockbuster. India weathered the New Zealand storm in the first semi-final and Australia followed suit the next day, dashing South African dreams yet again. And so, we have a mouthwatering India vs Australia final on our hands. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will be resplendent with colour and vigour on the night of Sunday, November 19, as the hosts take on the five-time champions in the title clash of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. (Match Blog | Scorecard | Streaming | Preview)
The match-up will surely remind fans on either spectrum of the 2003 World Cup final, where the Aussies absolutely decimated the Sourav Ganguly-led Men In Blue. While for the Indian supporters, it is a haunting memory that they would prefer forgetting (if they could), the match is an eternal source of pride for The Kangaroos, who ruled the cricket stratosphere then under Ricky Ponting's leadership.
A lot has changed since, however. The current Indian team has taken no prisoners in its ruthless 2023 ODI World Cup campaign so far, remaining the only unbeaten side in the competition. Pat Cummins' Australia, on the other hand, started off with back-to-back losses before gathering momentum and peaking in the business end of the tournament.
ALSO READ: India's Arcane Pace Battery
The first of the two losses was from India themselves, who posted a comfortable six-wicket win in Chennai to kick-start their journey. The 2003 World Cup had seen a group-stage victory for the Aussies, and India would be hoping for an analogous pattern to emerge this time, on Sunday. With that, let's take a look at five key player battles that can swing the match in either side's favour.
Virat Kohli Vs Adam Zampa
Enough and more has been said about Virat Kohli's awe-inspiring performances in this edition of the ODI World Cup. The India batting lynchpin has anchored the hosts' forays as only he can, setting unreal standards with his ambition, skills and stamina on the crease. with 711 runs from 10 innings, Kohli stands head and shoulders above all other batters in the tournament and nothing would please him more than a match-winning hand in the final.
For that, he must deal smartly with the wily leg-spin of Adam Zampa, who has spun a web around opposition batters with 22 wickets so far. Zampa has relished the Indian conditions and will look to sneak one through the sturdy defence of Kohli on Sunday to give his side the advantage.
Rohit Sharma Vs Josh Hazlewood
Rohit Sharma has well and truly earned the moniker of 'Captain Courageous' in this World Cup, leading the way with audacious, no-holds-barred hitting at the top of the order for India. Rohit has selflessly looked to up the scoring rate in the powerplay, even if it means losing his wickets cheaply sometimes. But he has yet been able to find consistency, scoring 550 runs and emerging with the highest strike-rate (124.15) among the ones who have scored over 400 runs.
He will eye another flying start to push India ahead in the final, but it won't be easy against the disciplined seam bowling of Josh Hazlewood. The tall right-arm seamer operates with an immaculate line and length, and gets enough movement to find the edge of unsuspecting batters.
Mohammed Shami Vs David Warner
Injury to Hardik Pandya seemed like a major setback to India initially, but it came as a blessing in disguise as Mohammed Shami found a look in and immediately set the stage on fire. Despite playing just six games so far, Shami is the highest wicket-taker (23) in the showpiece event this year with three five-wicket hauls and one four-for.
His seven-star performance against New Zealand would have set the alarm bells ringing in the Aussie camp, but David Warner is hardly one to be daunted. The experienced opener has a knack of shining when it matters and his firepower can disrupt any prime bowler's plans. He will look to shake Shami off his rhythm from the word go but the latter has the wherewithal to counter that with his seam movement and a wicket-to-wicket line, as star England all-rounder Ben Stokes discovered earlier in the World Cup. It promises to be an enthralling contest.
Jasprit Bumrah Vs Mitchell Marsh
India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has picked up 18 wickets so far, but has deserved many more. He's bowled too many unplayable deliveries that are too good to find the edge, and has the lowest economy rate among the bowlers on display at the tournament (mimumum of two games). Batters recognise his potent threat and believe it is best to play him out and take their chances with the rest.
But Mitchell Marsh is unlikely to go that route. The all-rounder has batted explosively at the top of the order and showed how dangerous he can be with his unbeaten 177 against Bangladesh in the group stage. It will be interesting to see how Marsh responds to the ominous challenge of Bumrah, and vice versa.
Ravindra Jadeja Vs Glenn Maxwell
This one is a unique, two-dimensional contest. Ravindra Jadeja and Glenn Maxwell both have the ability to change the game with bat as well as ball, and would be looking to get the better of the other in both trades. While Jadeja is the stronger of the two when it comes to bowling, everyone knows how destructive Maxwell can be with bat in hand, as his superhuman double century is still fresh in everyone's minds.
And hence Jadeja's left-arm spin against Maxwell's unfettered ball-striking could be be one of the defining moments of the match. Whoever wins this battle will earn their side a distinct advantage in the game. On the other hand, Maxwell's right-arm off-spin against southpaw Jadeja's firebrand batting will also be an intriguing, albeit dark-horse match-up.
