The finalists for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 have been confirmed, with India taking on Australia in the showpiece match in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Before this, the World Cup program will end tomorrow Sunday after the final match between India and Australia, let us take you and discuss the tough times that India spent on the field between its rivals.
Tournament hosts India are the only team to remain unbeaten in a World Cup final, winning all ten of their matches for the first time since their triumph on home soil in 2011. They won nine out of nine matches in the league stage before losing to New Zealand. Mumbai in the semi-finals.
As India remains unbeaten in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 final, we take a look at how the hosts have taken over the tournament.
On November 19, India will take on Australia in the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup final. The host nation will be participating in the final of the event for the fourth time in a row, starting with India in 2011.
And their current performances see them in a good position to add a third World Cup to their trophy cabinet. Led by the fighting spirit of Rohit Sharma and the assurance of Virat Kohli, the batting unit has performed well in all its games so far. Mohammed Shami’s excellence has carried over to his bowling effort, which has seen both fast bowlers and spinners flourish.
Ahead of the World Cup final, let’s take a look at his performance so far in the tournament:
CWC23 Match 1 India vs Australia at Chennai:
Spinners lead the way as India makes the most of the helpful surface. Useful innings from David Warner and Steve Smith ensured Australia reached 199, a normal score on the wicket.
However, the target of 200 looked like 300 when Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc bowled brilliantly to restrict India to 2/3. A solid partnership between Kohli and KL Rahul stabilized the innings and helped India win the encounter by six wickets.
CWC23 Match 2, India vs Afghanistan, Delhi:
Afghanistan recovered from early struggles to stitch important partnerships before Jasprit Bumrah struck late to prevent the team from reaching 300. Rohit’s aggressive century helped India chase the target as the target was achieved in just 35 overs.
CWC23 Match 3, India vs Pakistan at Ahmedabad:
Once again Bumrah was brilliant as India excelled with the ball on a good batting wicket. In a collapse of historic proportions, Pakistan fell from 155/2 to 191 all out. Another aggressive start from the top helped India win the contest by seven wickets.
CWC23 Match 4, India vs Bangladesh at Pune:
Kohli’s extraordinary century helps India chase down Bangladesh’s first-innings score with ease. The Men in Blue performed brilliantly with the ball in the first innings, although they lost Hardik Pandya who injured himself in the game. After this, the all-rounder was thrown out of the tournament.
CWC23 Match 5, India vs New Zealand in Dharamshala:
India’s first non-Asian opponent in three matches also proved to be their most challenging opponent so far. Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra looked to be running away from the game at one point and blunted India’s spin attack.
However, Shami, who replaced Pandya in India’s lineup, stood up and took a brilliant five-wicket haul. From 178/2, New Zealand were all out for 273 runs. Under the leadership of Kohli, India registered an easy victory with two overs to spare.
CWC23 Match 6, India vs England, Lucknow:
After being asked to bat first for the first time in the tournament, India faltered on a difficult wicket. However, it was Rohit’s excellence that took them to 229/9.
Given their form in the tournament, the challenge was always going to be a difficult one for England. Bumrah and Shami broke their batting order under lights and bundled them out for 129 runs.
CWC 2023 Match 7, India vs Sri Lanka, Mumbai:
The Indian captain’s dismissal early in the innings was the only time when it looked like the island nation was in the game. India’s innings were dominated by the top and middle order.
After posting 357/8, Mohammed Siraj and Shami cut through Sri Lanka’s batting order like a hot knife through butter. India won by a record margin of 302 runs after bowling out their opponents for 55 runs.
CWC23 Match 8, India vs South Africa in Kolkata:
Kohli equals his idol Sachin Tendulkar’s record by scoring his 49th ODI century, taking India to 326. The tweakers took charge with Mohammed Shami and clean-bowled the Proteas for 83 runs.
CWC23 Match 9, India vs Netherlands in Bengaluru:
India secured their ninth win in as many league-stage matches with a win against the Netherlands in Bengaluru. It was Shreyas Iyer and Rahul who came to the party and helped India score 410/4 with their aggressive centuries. The Netherlands performed well with the bat but ultimately fell short of the big target.
CWC23 Semifinal 1, India vs New Zealand at Mumbai:
India breaks the Kiwi hoodoo in the knockout games of the ICC tournament and books a place in the final. Kohli’s record-breaking 50th ODI century laid the foundation of India’s innings, even as Iyer helped India get closer to 400 with his century.
Mitchell once again played an incredible innings, but New Zealand was no match for the brilliance of Shami, who took 7 for 57, the best-ever performance by an Indian bowler in ODIs.
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