In the gallery, amidst a crowd of thousands, there was an ocean of blue, resonating with the roar of the sea, while each burst of fireworks and flashes of light created an atmosphere of celebration and exuberance, all set for India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself was present on the field to witness the trophy in Rohit Sharma’s hands, who was making his way through opponent after opponent on the path to the final.
But can the unwavering Australian character in adverse conditions overpower all odds? Pat Cummins, bold enough to silence the gallery trying to roar in Virat Kohli’s support, steered Australia to clinch the sixth World Cup by defeating India by 6 wickets in Ahmedabad. Despite never losing 10 wickets in the tournament, India was all out against Australia’s bowling attack and Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, with their partnership of 192 runs, turned the tables, even after losing three wickets at 47 runs.
Labuschagne, who left the field undefeated with 58 runs, seemed incredulous at the victory. As a batsman who wasn’t initially part of the World Cup squad, his eyes reflected disbelief at being part of the winning partnership. Expressing his thoughts after the match, he said, “It feels unbelievable. India was the best team in this tournament. But our bowlers were exceptional today. Then, what an incredible batting performance by Travis. Everything that happened is unbelievable. I actually don’t have words to say.”
While Labuschagne shared the joy, Travis Head, who played an exceptional innings, was quite vocal. Despite not performing well with the bat in the final, David Warner secured his second World Cup trophy, the first as captain. The 37-year-old opener, who wasn’t at his best while batting, excelled in fielding. After the match, Warner, amidst everything associated with winning the World Cup, asserted, “I’ll cherish this more. There’s no crowd like the Indian crowd. We should count this victory in our list of World Cup triumphs.”
When asked about speaking to the fans, Australian captain Pat Cummins referred to the gallery as the ‘blue ocean.’ Under his leadership this year, Australia drew the Ashes in England, and previously, they defeated India to win the World Test Championship. Alan Border, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, and Michael Clarke’s legacy was followed by the new World Cup-winning captain, who didn’t hesitate to state, “The success we’ve had this year will overshadow everyone. It’s the pinnacle.”
