There were then two

We’re back at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad for the ODI World Cup final. Back where it all started, more than six weeks ago. There was a little bit of everything in these 47 games of absolutely captivating cricket  action: teams wizarding their way to victory, squads dominating the tournament beyond imagination, some going above and beyond what was predicted, and a few emptying their tanks. A screenplay is so extraordinary that it surpasses the abilities of the best screenwriters.

The drums will keep beating, trumpets will be blasted, jerseys will be donned, firecrackers will light up the night sky, and people of all ages will jump from verandahs as if they were the ones lighting up stadiums all over the world while in India and throughout the nation.

Australia and India in the World Cup final. That one has been seen before. We travel through time. We return to Illovo, Johannesburg, which is situated south of Sandton. We have a reenactment of the 2003 World Cup final in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on the western part of India, two decades later.

These two dominant cricket teams began their World Cup campaigns precisely 41 days ago, 1.6 kilometers from the Bay of Bengal’s Coromandel coast. At the packed Narendra Modi Stadium, 64 km from the Gulf of Khambhat, which empties into the Arabian Sea, they are about to write their own history.

India

The Nagpur boy, who left out in 2011, developed in Borivili, became an expert on the Maidans of Mumbai, and now, twelve years later, leads his nation to a World Cup final. India’s World Cup campaign has been painted so simply to perfection during this ODI World Cup that it’s been like Leonardo Da Vinci doing Da Vinci stuff.

Rafael Nadal’s victory over Novak Djokovic in the Roland Garros 2020 final in Paris is another fitting example of their supremacy. As destructive as ever, taking pleasure in blowing teams away, terrorizing opponents, and not caring too much about the weather. An incredibly powerful force at the height of their abilities.

Everything is aligning towards India. While Virat Kohli has looked like he’s going to score a hundred every time he bats, Rohit’s altruistic character has added a lot of intent to putting up a high total. He’s looked so brilliant that he might easily get his 51st in ODIs if he padded up and went to bat on the sea.

A middle-order batter’s career is filled with both happiness and pain. When the beginning is so fantastic, a flawless finish is almost always expected, and only a select handful are concerned with the endings. Together, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul have amassed three centuries to prove to cricket fans that they don’t care about results.

The talk of the town has been India’s arsenal of quick bowlers. India has amassed 96 wickets in ten games thanks to the contributions of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja. Mohammed Shami, on the other hand, has amassed 23 wickets in six games and has every cricket fan salivating over his seam position. India and the ICC knockouts haven’t been a happy couple lately, but they’ve made the decision to try their love again—this time at home.

Australia

However, Patrick Cummins, then eighteen, signed his first Australian central contract in 2011. Twelve years later, he’s reached the World Cup final in five months, won the World Test Championship in London, and kept the Ashes in England.

Australia’s World Cup journey in 2023 has been compared to Rafael Nadal’s 2022 final match at Melbourne Park vs Daniil Medvedev. Broken and dented, yet never looked back. Despite setbacks, suffering, and heartbreak, they persevered, gave their all in every match, and advanced to their eighth ODI World Cup final.

Australia typically rises to the challenge. However, sometimes they do require a little reality check, don’t they? That feeling of having their backs against the wall and things not going their way.

In a situation where Australia was set to lose to South Africa in Lucknow, Shoaib Akhtar said on X, “If Australia loses today, yeh baqi ka poora tournament sab pay ghussa nikaalay gi! What you want, Soch lain (Australia will be furious with everyone throughout the tournament if they lose today). You choose what you desire).”

What do you think? They started the semi-final on a dry Kolkata pitch that spun miles, losing two straight before winning seven straight and chasing a total against a team who had defeated them fifteen times in the previous eighteen encounters.

With individual scores above 150, Australia’s best three players—David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, and Glenn Maxwell—have joined the festivities. While Travis Head has proved he can act decisively when called upon and has also made waves in Kolkata with his generational spin that parents would be proud to share with their children, Warner has gone about his business and occasionally displayed flashes of his 2016 self.

Glenn Maxwell was in his element, playing cricket in his backyard. Marnus Labuschagne has been there, even though Steven Smith hasn’t been acting entirely typical. The amount of swing Mitchell Starc can extract from the ball, however, will determine a lot when Josh Hazlewood and Cummins use their channels and angles to hit the dime in the zone of doubt.

Despite having 40 wickets in their account, the big three have not penetrated much in the powerplay. In the semi-final match against South Africa, the big players showed up, and Temba Bavuma’s bowling in the first 10 overs said it all. Australia has triumphed thanks to the persistence of Adam Zampa. He has taken 21 wickets in ten matches at an average of less than 21.5, and captain Cummins has relied on him when Australia required a big score.

Report on pitch

A few items will be available: cramps, pickle juice, electrolytes, wet towels, and umbrellas. Gujarat is predicted to have sunny skies and high midday temperatures; the nighttime will likely be significantly colder.

The Narendra Modi Stadium’s surface is a little bit uneven. Soil wickets are available in red and black colors. The red gives good carry and allows bowlers to hit the length while encouraging hitters to play through the line and trust the bounce. Contrarily, black plays much more slowly, and there may be an increase in back foot play. Finally, there might be a combination of the two, which creates a nice surface for cricket and ensures that a batter, once established, won’t want to leave quickly.

probable XIs:

India appears composed, serene, cool, and self-assured. There are well rested and have taken nice rests in between. Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma won’t have any significant selection difficulties because India will most likely remain with the same squad that defeated New Zealand in the semi-final match.

India’s lineup includes: Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and Rohit Sharma (c).

Although the balance of the side was a little off, Marnus Labuschange’s form and ability to rescue Australia from a dire scenario helped him secure his place. Marcus Stoinis’ ability to play spin on turns has been a cause for concern recently. However, there have been rumors lately that Stoinis will take Labuschange’s place in the middle.

Australia: Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschange/Marcus Stoinis

Therefore, history favours Australia on November 19—the reigning champions have won five of the last seven World Cup finals—but India’s present form offers them the best opportunity to break the ICC drought. There will be an exciting match this weekend in Ahmedabad, with Australia peaking at the business end of the tournament and India weighing in at 1.3 billion.