Recognizing the potent threat posed by India's red-hot seamer Mohammed Shami, Australia captain Pat Cummins said he will be the biggest challenge for the five-time champions during the final of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, November 19. (Scorecard | Streaming | Key Battles | Preview)
Asked about who will be the Indian player to watch out for the Aussies, Cummins said at the pre-match press conference: "They're all pretty well-rounded in all departments. The one guy that didn't play at the start of the tournament who's done really well is obviously Mohammed Shami. He's a class bowler to right and left-armers, so yeah, he's going to be a big one."
Cummins added that he expected a partisan crowd for the final, but aimed to silence them with a rousing show. Asked how they will handle the challenge of a massive crowd against them, the Australia captain said: "I think you've got to embrace it. The crowd's obviously going to be very one-sided but in sport, there's nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent and that's the aim for us tomorrow."
He added, "You've just got to embrace every part of it, every part of a final. In the lead-up there's going to be a lot of noise and you just can't get overwhelmed. You have got to be up for it, you have got to love it and just that know whatever happens, it's fine but you finish the day with no regrets."
Cummins downplayed the angle of India seeking revenge for their 2003 final defeat, saying that it was too long ago and no player from either side was there then. But he agreed that it will be a packed house supporting India in unison. "There's going to be 130,000 fans here supporting India. So, it's going to be awesome. They've been playing really well, undefeated this tournament. But we know at our best we can give them a good shake. We've played them quite a lot over the last couple years with success so it's all building up for a nice final," the 30-year-old fast bowler said.
