India take on Australia in the 2023 Cricket World Cup final on Sunday, in a bid to win their first major ICC global event since 2011.
Australia have historically enjoyed the most success in the tournament, and Pat Cummins’ men have reached the nations’ eighth ODI World Cup final with a hard-fought win over South Africa. India however go into the match as firm favourites having gone unbeaten through nine group matches before defeating New Zealand in the semi-finals.
Cummins won the toss at the Narendra Modi Stadium and elected to bowl first. It proved to be a canny decision as the Aussies piled the pressure on India, consistently taking wickets through the first innings. Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer all fell with just 80 runs on the board leaving Virat Kohli (54) and KL Rahul (66) to rebuild.
The Australia captain took the vital wicket of Kohli before Mitchell Starc had Rahul caught behind. The hosts then scrambled to 240 all out leaving the game in the balance at the halfway stage.
Follow all the live action below and get the latest odds and tips here.
India host Australia in a bid to win first major ICC trophy since 2011
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India host Australia in the Cricket World Cup final
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India set Australia 241 to win
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WICKET! Smith lbw b Bumrah 4 – Smith goes cheaply after not reviewing LBW (Australia 47-3)
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WICKET! Marsh c KL Rahul b Bumrah 15 – Second powerplay wicket falls for the Aussies (Aus 41-2)
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WICKET! Warner 7 c Kohli b Shami – Shami strikes early to remove Warner (AUS 16-1)
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KL Rahul top-scored with 66; Kohli added half-century too
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Australia won the toss and choose to bowl first
Australia 110-3 (21) Labuschagne 18, Head 49, Siraj 0-16 (3), target 241
14:23 , Ben Fleming
That is crunched from Head! Siraj bangs it in short but the Aussie opener has no trouble freeing his arms and pulling it to the boundary ropes. A single follows to leave him one shy of a half-century now.
Six more off the over.
Australia 104-3 (20) Labuschagne 17, Head 44, Kuldeep 0-23 (5), target 241
14:20 , Ben Fleming
Labuschagne remains calm and happy to take singles; Head a bit more restless and constantly looking to pierce the infield.
Five runs from the over and done with very little ease. India will start to get restless with this pattern sooner rather than later, one imagines.
Australia 99-3 (19) Labuschagne 13, Head 43, Siraj 0-10 (2), target 241
14:16 , Ben Fleming
A nice tip and run from Labuschagne brings up the 50 partnership off 71 balls between him and Head. A great rebuild from these two but the job is far from over.
Four runs off the over as Australia close in on 100.
Australia 95-3 (18) Labuschagne 11, Head 41, Kuldeep 0-18 (4), target 241
14:12 , Ben Fleming
Kuldeep remains in the attack as India continue with spin at one end. Just the couple of runs from the over but Australia can just play it safe at the minute. It’s India that need to make something happen with only 241 on the board.
Australia 93-3 (17) Labuschagne 10, Head 40, Siraj 0-6 (1), target 241
14:06 , Ben Fleming
India’s final front-line bowler comes into the attack as Siraj is handed the ball for the first time. Head looks to get on top of him right away but it’s superbly stopped by Kohli at short cover.
He does get him away, however, a few balls later as he punches Siraj to the boundary.
Australia 87-3 (16) Labuschagne 9, Head 35, Kuldeep 0-16 (3), target 241
14:01 , Ben Fleming
Well…that’s one way to break the succession of singles and dots! A huge six from Head on the sweep as the stadium falls silent. Effortless power from the Aussie opener.
Nine runs off the over.
Australia 78-3 (15) Labuschagne 8, Head 27, Jadeja 0-7 (3), target 241
13:58 , Ben Fleming
Four more off Jadeja’s third over. Both these spinners are rattling through their opening spell but Australia look happy to knock them about for easy singles at this stage.
Australia 74-3 (14) Labuschagne 6, Head 25, Kuldeep 0-7 (2), target 241
13:56 , Ben Fleming
Just ticking over now – this game – at this stage. Four singles off the over but that’s all Australia really need at this stage.
Australia 70-3 (13) Labuschagne 4, Head 23, Jadeja 0-7 (2), target 241
13:53 , Ben Fleming
Head is ticking over nicely but Labuschagne is now four off 19 deliveries so far. He tends to start slowly but Australia won’t want him to go completely into his shell here. Two off the over.
Australia 68-3 (12) Labuschagne 3, Head 22, Kuldeep 0-3 (1), target 241
13:50 , Ben Fleming
And it will be spin at both ends as Kuldeep comes into the attack at the other end. Australia are a bit over the required run rate currently, and they’ll be keen to keep it that way and not get bogged down in this period of the game.
But it’s a good start from the leg-spinner. Just three runs from his first over.
Australia 65-3 (11) Labuschagne 1, Head 21, Jadeja 0-5 (1), target 241
13:47 , Ben Fleming
The powerplay is finished and India turn straight to spin as Jadeja comes into the attack. More poor keeping from Rahul as he lets another two wides pass him by. A few more from the over but definitely some signs of spin as Head catches one on the pads. India deliberate over a review but I think that’s going down leg.
Australia 60-3 (10) Labuschagne 0, Head 19, Shami 1-33 (5), target 241
13:43 , Ben Fleming
Some welcome runs to relieve the pressure as Head finds back-to-back boundaries against Shami, first carving it fine past short third man before bludgeoning one down the ground.
He almost chops on with the very next ball, though! He’s a proactive batter but that sure doesn’t come without its risks.
Australia 51-3 (9) Labuschagne 0, Head 10, Bumrah 2-21 (5), target 241
13:40 , Ben Fleming
Labuschagne and Head have plenty have time to recover this Australian innings but they can’t afford to give away their wickets cheaply after those three early dismissals.
Four byes after some poor keeping from Rahul is the only runs off the over.
Australia 47-3 (8) Labuschagne 0, Head 10, Shami 1-24 (4), target 241
13:34 , Ben Fleming
Wow. The replays for Smith’s dismissal have just come up on screen and the impact was outside the line of off stump. Had he reviewed the decision, he would still be at the crease. How big a moment could that be?
Another maiden over from India. They are right on top now.
WICKET! Smith lbw b Bumrah 4 (Australia 47-3)
13:30 , Ben Fleming
India have another! Smith got off the mark with a four but Bumrah comes firing back and gets him LBW!
It’s an off-cutter from the Indian quick and it deceives Smith completely for line. The Aussie batter walks off and his side are in deep trouble now at the end of the seventh over.
Labuschagne the new man – Australia 47-3.
Australia 42-2 (6) Smith 0, Head 9, Shami 1-24 (3), target 241
13:25 , Ben Fleming
Shami has been superb to the left-handers this tournament and he starts well in this over, wrapping the pads of Head with the first ball. Big appeals but it’s heading down the leg side.
Another tidy over from India, with just one run off that. Perhaps Head and Smith will look to dig in and consolidate after that frenetic start.
Australia 41-2 (5) Smith 0, Head 8, Bumrah 1-16 (3), target 241
13:22 , Ben Fleming
A wicket maiden for Bumrah who has been right back at his best after their sloppy first over.
WICKET! Marsh c KL Rahul b Bumrah 15 (Aus 41-2)
13:18 , Ben Fleming
Another one falls for Australia! It’s not Bumrah’s finest delivery but it gets the bottom edge of Marsh who just threw his hands at that one.
He’d looked positive had the Aussie number three, but he’s back in the shed now and India have their second breakthrough inside the powerplay.
Australia 41-1 (4) Marsh 15, Head 8, Shami 1-23 (2), target 241
13:16 , Ben Fleming
Three more wides down the leg side from Shami to start his second over. Far more of them than you would expect from him early on.
He corrects his line but gets his length run and Marsh climbs into it and smashes it for six! A superb shot that should settle any nerves.
Another good over for Australia. India started brightly in their innings too – when scoring was easier – and evidently, the Aussies intend to do the same.
Australia 29-1 (3) Marsh 5, Head 8, Bumrah 0-16 (2), target 241
13:10 , Ben Fleming
Far better from Bumrah this over. He almost encourages a faint edge out of Marsh before threatening Head with a similar precision and slight movement off the surface.
Just one off the over.
Australia 28-1 (2) Marsh 5, Head 8, Shami 1-11 (1), target 241
13:07 , Ben Fleming
Goodness me, what a chaotic start to this chase! Marsh is the new man and almost chops on with his first ball. But then Shami is loose, perhaps too pumped up from the crowd, as he sends down five wides before a loose delivery which Marsh smashes away to the boundary ropes.
13 runs for Australia but the wicket of Warner for India.
WICKET! Warner 7 c Kohli b Shami (Australia 16-1)
13:02 , Ben Fleming
Rohit turns to his main man and it pays dividends straight away!
Warner reaches for one out wide and this time his edge carries through to Kohli in the slips. The Aussie departs and Shami has the early breakthrough that India needed.
Australia 15-0 (1) Warner 7, Head 8, Bumrah 0-15 (1), target 241
13:00 , Ben Fleming
First ball…and almost caught! A thick edge from Warner flies between the first and second slip and races away to the boundary. Was that a chance?
Warner pierces the outfield for three before Head crunches one through the covers for four. A superb, authoritative start from the Aussie opener. And again! Down on one knee, he smashes it to the off-side boundary ropes.
FIFTEEN RUNS off the first over – what a statement from Warner and Head.
Second innings coming up
12:55 , Ben Fleming
Out come both sets of players and the wait for the second innings is over.
Australia need 241 runs to win this World Cup. That feels like a manageable total but let’s see what these superb Indian bowlers have in store for them.
Bumrah to take the first over…
Pitch invader with ‘Free Palestine’ T-shirt runs up to Virat Kohli during India vs Australia World Cup match
12:49 , Ben Fleming
A pitch invader wearing a shirt with messages supporting Palestine breached security on Sunday at the cricket venue of the India versus Australia ICC World Cup 2023 final match in India’s Ahmedabad.
The spectator entered the field reportedly to meet Virat Kohli and even got close enough to put his arm around India’s star cricketer before being arrested by the police, according to reports.
The match at the Narendra Modi stadium in the western state of Gujarat was interrupted for a few minutes in the 14th over of Indian innings as the man was seen running up to Kohli wearing a white T-shirt, a face mask with Palestinian flag print, and red trousers.
The front of his T-shirt read “Stop Bombing Palestine” while the back had “Free Palestine” message printed on it.
Man with ‘Free Palestine’ T-shirt invades field during Cricket World Cup final
India set Australia 241 to win
12:44 , Ben Fleming
Tightly-poised at the halfway stage:
India set Australia 241 to win
12:40 , Ben Fleming
More from Starc: “We bowled second here in the England game we played on this pitch. It was quite dewy and it had a little bit of reverse when we batted in the first innings. Looking at the wicket, it was quite dry and bare so it’s not a surprise so I guess we are hoping that the dew comes in and we don’t see any reverse in the second innings.
“It’s going to be an interesting wicket – it’s not an easy wicket to bat on. I think probably the easiest time to bat is with the hard new ball but we obviously saw through Virat [Kohli] and Rahul that if play yourself in, there is runs to be scored but it’s not going to be easy.”
India set Australia 241 to win
12:36 , Ben Fleming
Mitchell Starc speaking after the first innings: “You can always plan for things but the way we came together in the field with the ball was [great]. It’s a fantastic first half of the fixture and it’s our turn with the bat now.
“There’s not a whole heap in the wicket for the seam or swing bowler; we saw the swing go away pretty quickly. We tried different things to get the ball shifting or varying the pace a bit. Pat [Cummins] was fantastic all the way through his spell – Josh [Hazzlewood as well – and obviously a bit of reverse swing on the back end.
We did what we were asked so hopefully we have restricted them to enough.”
India set Australia 241 to win from their 50 overs
12:30 , Ben Fleming
Australia must be happy with that effort having put India in to bat in this final. They bowled with great patience and accuracy and really restricted India well after their fast start.
India have been superb throughout the tournament with the ball and that main man Mohammed Shami will have to be at his best. Early inroads are key, one feels.
India set Australia 241 to win
12:28 , Sonia Twigg
India came out blazing, led by their captain Rohit Sharma, but when his wicket fell it was down to KL Rahul and Virat Kohli to build up the total.
They were content to just play the ball around for singles, but there were gaping almost-hour long periods without a boundary that ultimately proved enough to halt India’s run-scoring.
The Australian bowlers bowled expertly and their fielding was second to none. Cutting off boundaries at all time.
In the first 10 overs, India struck at 8 an over, but after that could not reach more than five.
India set Australia 241 to win from their 50 overs
12:25 , Sonia Twigg
Hazlewood will bowl his last over, Kuldeep sneaks a single through from the first ball.
Siraj has hit a boundary! He hits a four back past Hazlewood down the ground, the flags are out, but they have been hiding a long time.
He follows it up with a single. Kuldeep plays a pull shot for a single, but that boundary has sparked the crowd into life again, and they will want to carry that through into the next innings.
India finish all out for 240, with a run out on the final ball.
India 232-9 (49) Kuldeep 8, Siraj 3, Cummins 2-33 (10)
12:19 , Sonia Twigg
Cummins has fired down a wide from the second ball, and India may take every single run that comes.
The batters are just fending off the ball, but they have picked up three more runs and pass the 230 mark.
Five runs from the over in total.
India 227-9 (48) Kuldeep 6, Siraj 1, Hazlewood 2-52 (9)
12:15 , Sonia Twigg
The crowd have been all but silenced after that. There are just two more overs for India to bat.
Wicket! Suryakumar out for 18! ct Inglis b Hazlewood – India 226-9
12:12 , Sonia Twigg
There is no pace in this surface, Hazlewood goes short, and Suryakumar leaps to try and get bat on it but it’s called a wide.
He connects with the next one and it looks like it could be a boundary, but Warner sprints and puts in a full strength dive and cuts off yet another one.
But he goes for another big shot and edges it high, Inglis takes the catch and India have lost another wicket.
India 223-8 (47) Suryakumar 16, Kuldeep 6, Cummins 2-29 (9)
12:08 , Sonia Twigg
Cummins will bowl his 9th here. Suryakumar has to take a leading role here of the two Yadav’s.
There has not been a lot of pace all day, but India have to go for it now. He angles the ball over the keeper but will just get the one run from it, as Cummins takes the pace off.
Kuldeep fends off a yorker from the final ball, just two runs from the over.
India 221-8 (46) Suryakumar 15, Kuldeep 4, Starc 3-55 (10)
12:03 , Sonia Twigg
Zampa finishes the tournament with 23 runs. Kuldeep gets off strike to Starc with a single.
Suryakumar is not farming the strike, they are still knocking it out for singles, bizarrely a predicted score of 246 has just floated on the screen, but India will have to do incredibly well to get there.
India 215-8 (45) Suryakumar 14, Yadav 1, Zampa 1-44 (10)
11:59 , Sonia Twigg
Zampa is bowled out, finishes with one wicket for just 44 runs from his 10 overs.
Wicket! Bumrah out for 1! lbw Zampa – India 214-8
11:57 , Sonia Twigg
Zampa will bowl his last over. There has not been a lot of momentum or shots to get the fans on their feet since the opening powerplay.
India need to get more runs on the board here.
But they lose another wicket! Bumrah is trapped lbw by Zampa for just one run and does not review!
India 213-7 (44) Suryakumar 13, Bumrah 1, Starc 3-49 (9)
11:53 , Sonia Twigg
Bumrah is the new batter. He is off the mark with a single, but India are in trouble.
Two runs and a wicket from the over.
Wicket! Shami out for 6! ct Inglis b Starc – India 211-7
11:51 , Sonia Twigg
Starc will have his second-last over here. The first two balls are dots.
The camera has just been searching for the smattering of Aussies in the crowd which otherwise resembles a sea of blue.
Shami has gone for a big one, the ball moved, and it just caught a thick edge on the way through to the keeper.
Australia have their seventh.
India 211-6 (43) Suryakumar 12, Shami 6, Cummins 2-27 (8)
11:49 , Sonia Twigg
All the discussions surround whether the dew will play a part in the second innings or not.
Suryakumar has to wear one from Cummins that almost fell onto his stumps.
Four runs from the over from Cummins, seven overs left.
India 207-6 (42) Suryakumar 10, Shami 4, Starc 2-47 (8)
11:46 , Sonia Twigg
There are 50 balls left in the innings as Shami comes to the crease. He has had a great tournament with the ball, but is not known for his batting.
But he has broken the boundary deadlock to get off the mark! Turned past the wicketkeeper.
Wicket! KL Rahul out for 66! ct Inglis b Starc India 203-6
11:41 , Sonia Twigg
Starc has ball in hand, he has three left and India have nine to set the total in this Cricket World Cup…he starts with two wides and the hosts will take every run that comes.
The crowd has just quietened, there’s a lot of anxious faces, the flags are not waving, and there is a lot of worry about whether the total will be competitive.
India came out flying, and while Rohit Sharma was at the crease a score of 300 looked easy, but when him and Virat Kohli were out the runs have dried up.
And KL Rahul is out for 66! He has played a well-timed innings of 66 from 107, that was an absolutely stunning delivery from Starc, it swung late and nipped off the seam.
India 200-5 (41) KL Rahul 66, Suryakumar 9, Zampa 0-42 (9)
11:37 , Sonia Twigg
Zampa will bowl his 9th, India are still content to play it around for singles. KL Rahul pulls out the sweep shot but just cannot find the boundary.
India are inching towards 200 here.
Just three runs from the over, and India will have to accelerate at some point.
India 197-5 (40) KL Rahul 64, Suryakumar 8, Hazlewood 1-48 (8)
11:33 , Sonia Twigg
Hazlewood will bowl his eighth. There is not a long of reverse swing, but there is a hint and that might play a part in the final part of this innings, we’re into the last 10 overs now.
India 192-5 (39) KL Rahul 61, Suryakumar 6, Zampa 0-39 (8)
11:29 , Sonia Twigg
Another bowling change and it will be Zampa back on to bowl. KL Rahul is looking for the boundary, it has been a long time, almost an hour…
KL Rahul moves into the 60s, the turn is increasing…and there is the boundary, it comes off the bat of Yadav, but it has got the crowd up and on their feet.
India 182-5 (38) KL Rahul 58, Suryakumar 1, Hazlewood 1-43 (7)
11:24 , Sonia Twigg
After the breakthrough in the last ball Hazlewood will have another over here.
Just three runs from the over, and we’re nearing the last 10, India will have to accelerate at some point, but that last wicket has definitely had an impact.
71 balls since the last boundary…
India 179-5 (37) KL Rahul 56, Suryakumar 0, Maxwell 1-35 (6)
11:19 , Sonia Twigg
Maxwell is back into the attack after Hazlewood secured that breakthrough.
Suryakumar Yadav is the new batter.
There’s a stumping check…but the batter did not move.
Just the one run from the over.
Wicket! Jadeja out for 9! ct Inglis b Hazlewood India 178-5
11:13 , Sonia Twigg
Australia return to the reliable Josh Hazlewood, but there’s some overthrows and that’s a sign that things aren’t quite working for Australia. There was a hint of reverse swing however.
Another diving stop on the ring, this time from Labuschagne, but it leads to another overthrow, that’s poor from Australia who have been exceptional in the field.
The overthrows mean five runs have come from the first three balls of the over. Australia go upstairs, only Steve Smith seems to have heard anything…
But there was no spike on ultra edge and Jadeja survives…but he only lasts just one more ball.
The next one is edged through to the keeper and Jadeja is out for 9!
KL Rahul 50! India 173-5 (35) KL Rahul 50, Jadeja 9, Starc 1-40 (7)
11:06 , Sonia Twigg
Starc will bowl his 7th over here, again it’s just being knocked around for singles. KL Rahul is closing in on a half century of his own however.
The main question is how much impact will the dew have in the second innings?
KL Rahul has his half century, it’s well-earned, his second in the tournament and it has come from 86 balls.
India 169-4 (34) KL Rahul 48, Jadeja 7, Head 0-4 (2)
11:03 , Sonia Twigg
Australia have kept the bowlers rotating quite consistently, not allowing the batters to settle against anyone.
Head’s over went for four runs.
India 165-4 (33) KL Rahul 47, Jadeja 6, Starc 1-35 (6)
10:59 , Sonia Twigg
Mitchell Starc is back into the attack, will the ball reverse already?
The run rate is just diminishing slightly, and despite the explosive start is just over five an over.
KL Rahul is closing in on his half century, but he might have to score a lot more than that to give India a solid total.
India 162-4 (32) KL Rahul 45, Jadeja 5, Zampa 0-29 (7)
10:52 , Sonia Twigg
Zampa will continue, it is all looking quite straightforward for Australia at the moment. But India still have wickets in hand and enough firepower to attack in the final 10 overs.
Just four runs from the over.
India 158-4 (31) KL Rahul 43, Jadeja 3, Cummins 2-23 (7)
10:48 , Sonia Twigg
Cummins will bowl his seventh here, he already has the key wicket of Virat Kohli, but Australia will want to turn the screw here.
A two off the first ball but after that it’s kept tight and India have added just four runs to the total from the over.
India 152-4 (30) KL Rauhl 39, Jadeja 1, Zampa 0-25 (6)
10:45 , Sonia Twigg
After that key over Australia turn to Zampa. There’s an umpire review for stumping against Jadeja who has only just come to the crease but his back foot did not move.
India 149-4 (29) KL Rahul 37, Jadeja 0, Cummins 2-17 (6)
10:39 , Sonia Twigg
Cummins has taken key wickets in this match, his bowling throughout the tournament has not been the best in the early period, despite being good at the death, but he has the key wicket here and Kohli has to depart.
He had looked unflappable until just miss-timing that delivery and Jadeja has come out to join KL Rahul at the crease.
The crowd has just gone quiet.
Wicket! Kohli out for 54! b Cummins India 148-4
10:35 , Sonia Twigg
Cummins will bowl his 6th over here, the first two balls are tapped away for singles.
Cummins strikes! Virat Kohli has played onto his stumps!
It was banged into the surface and just got up on him a bit and all he could do was edge it onto the stumps, Cummins wheels away in celebration and that is a crucial breakthrough.
India 146-3 (28) Kohli 53, KL Rahul 36, Zampa 0-22 (5)
10:32 , Sonia Twigg
Zampa is into his fifth over here. KL Rahul gets an early single to bring Kohli on strike.
He taps it into the leg side for an easy single. The scoreboard has not stopped ticking along and the dot balls have not been allowed to build up, but it has not been enthralling batting, although it has been exactly what the situation called for.
Four singles from the over.
India 142-3 (27) Kohli 51, KL Rahul 34, Maxwell 1-34 (5)
10:30 , Sonia Twigg
Maxwell comes back on and KL Rahul has hit this one away to the boundary! It had taken 97 balls, but KL Rahul employed the paddle to score a four fine past the keeper.
With that boundary it was a more prolific over though, seven runs from it.
India 135-3 (26) Kohli 50, KL Rahul 28, Zampa 0-18 (4)
10:26 , Sonia Twigg
David Warner has put in a stunning dive to prevent the first boundary for a long time, he was full stretch and just got a hand to it.
Just four runs from the over.
Virat Kohli 50! India 132-3
10:24 , Sonia Twigg
Zampa is back on, nine different bowlers have been used recently, and Kohli has brought up his half century with a single from the first ball.
It came from 56 balls, and he had to weather the storm a bit after the three early wickets.
India 131-3 (25) Kohli 49, KL Rahul 25, Maxwell 1-27 (4)
10:22 , Sonia Twigg
Australia are running through their bowling options trying to find a breakthrough here, and turn to Maxwell.
Three runs from it.
India 128-3 (24) Kohli 47, KL Rahul 24, Marsh 0-5 (2)
10:19 , Sonia Twigg
Marsh will keep going from the other end after a good first over that went for just two runs.
There has not been any boundaries in the partnership between KL Rahul and Kohli, which is quite exceptional given they have put on almost 50 runs together.
India 125-3 (23) Kohli 45, KL Rahul 23, Starc 1-33 (5)
10:15 , Sonia Twigg
It has been more than 12 overs since a boundary, Starc has been hit for two runs, which makes a welcome change to the extensive singles.
But there are still no boundaries.
India 121-3 (22) Kohli 42, KL Rahul 22, Head 0-2 (1)
10:11 , Sonia Twigg
Travis Head has bowled his first over, and it goes for just two runs.
India 119-3 (21) Kohli 41, KL Rahul 21, Hazlewood 0-35 (5)
10:07 , Sonia Twigg
The game has just quietened and is meandering along, although Inid won’t mind as long as they can keep wickets in hand.
Kohli is running hard and always looking for the extra run but Australia have not put a foot wrong in the field, aside from a Warner misfield.
India 115-3 (20) Kohli 39, KL Rahul 19, Marsh 0-2 (1)
10:02 , Sonia Twigg
Mitchell Marsh will bowl his first over here, it’s an interesting decision, but India are just trying to ride this out, and might be tempted to release some pressure and go on the attack against the fourth seamer.
Just two singles from his first over.
India 113-3 (19) Kohli 38, KL Rahul 18, Hazlewood 0-31 (4)
09:58 , Sonia Twigg
Hazlewood has come back into the attack, and similar to the other bowlers, he is just going for singles here.
It has now been over 40 minutes since the last boundary, and Australia won’t mind that at all.
Six runs from that over, all in singles.
India 107-3 (18) Kohli 35, KL Rahul 15, Maxwell 1-24 (3)
09:54 , Sonia Twigg
Maxwell, who claimed the key wicket of Sharma is back into the attack after a spell from Zampa. He has been quite expensive, but wickets are far more important at this stage, and since the wickets fell the run rate has slowed.
Just the three runs from the over.
India 104-3 (17) Kohli 35, KL Rahul 12, Cummins 1-14 (5)
09:51 , Sonia Twigg
Cummins will continue, and he has been good but Australia’s fielding has been exceptional, both in the ring and out in the deep they have cut off so many runs.
It has been 40 balls since the last boundary after four balls of Cummins’ fifth over.
India 101-3 (16) Kohli 34, KL Rahul 10, Zampa 0-14 (3)
09:45 , Sonia Twigg
Zampa will bowl his third over here, but again it’s only singles, and it will be time for the drinks break.
India got off to a flying start, but have been pegged back since the last two wickets which fell in quick succession, especially the loss of Rohit.
India 97-3 (15) Kohli 32, KL Rahul 8, Cummins 1-11 (4)
09:40 , Sonia Twigg
Cummins will keep going, and he has bowled well so far, his first three overs went for just eight runs.
And he has not started this one any differently, two singles off the first two balls, and one not controlled from Kohli was not far away from the man at midwicket.
India 94-3 (14) Kohli 30, KL Rahul 7, Zampa 0-10 (2)
09:37 , Sonia Twigg
Zampa will bowl his second, the first two balls go for singles, but the crowd has just fallen quiet following the wickets but Kohli is at the crease and that will always encourage the home support.
There’s a brief pause for what looks like a spectator on the field, but the over will continue.
India 89-3 (13) Kohli 27, KL Rahul 5, Cummins 1-8 (3)
09:31 , Sonia Twigg
After taking a wicket in the last over, Cummins has bowled a very tight over here, just the two runs from it.
India 87-3 (12) Kohli 26, KL Rahul 4, Zampa 0-5 (1)
09:27 , Sonia Twigg
Zampa will come into the attack for the first time, after Maxwell took the crucial wicket of Rohit.
KL Rahul just knocks the ball for a single first ball. It’s easy singles but the big runs which was instigated by Rohit has just dried up slightly.
India 82-3 (11) Kohli 24, KL Rahul 1, Cummins 1-6 (2)
09:23 , Sonia Twigg
An important over from Cummins comes to an end, and India will need to rely on this duo to score a lot of the runs needed.
They have early runs on the board but there are so many overs left, and we are only just out of the powerplay.
Wicket! Shreyas out for 4! ct Inglis b Cummins – India 81-3
09:20 , Sonia Twigg
Shreyas has gone! He edged that behind, it was a good ball from Cummins and Iyer was on the back foot waiting in his crease, the ball catches the edge on the way through to Inglis, who makes no mistake.
That is a huge wicket, and India will have to rebuild.
India 80-2 (10) Kohli 23, Shreyas 4, Maxwell 1-21 (2)
09:18 , Sonia Twigg
Shreyas Iyer comes to the crease and already hits a four, but Australia have the breakthrough and it’s a crucial one.
Wicket! Rohit out for 47! ct Head b Maxwell – India 76-2
09:15 , Sonia Twigg
Maxwell has continued, and he has been hit for a big six down the ground, that went high and dropped into the stands.
He follows it up with a four, but is out next ball!
Rohit came down the pitch but didn’t quite get hold of it, Travis Head had to cover a lot of ground to take a diving catch after running backwards, that is a huge breakthrough for Australia!
India 66-1 (9) Rohit 37, Kohli 23, Cummins 0-4 (1)
09:14 , Sonia Twigg
Cummins has brought himself on to bowl, Warner had to be alert in the deep to cut off another boundary, but the captain has started well.
India 61-1 (8) Rohit 35, Kohli 21, Maxwell 0-7 (1)
09:09 , Sonia Twigg
Maxwell has been brought into the attack for the first time, he has tried to turn it but it has just come on nicely, and Rohit has put that away comfortably.
India 54-1 (7) Rohit 33, Kohli 16, Starc 1-29 (4)
09:05 , Sonia Twigg
Kohli has his first boundary from the first ball of the over from Starc.
The next ball has been nailed through backward point for another boundary, this has been a great start, and the crowd are all cheering his name.
He follows it up with another four, this time drilled through cover with expert timing.
India 40-1 (6) Rohit 32, Kohli 3, Hazlewood 0-25 (3)
09:00 , Sonia Twigg
Hazlewood has been much tighter this over, Kohli has struggled to get the ball away.
The number three clips it into the leg side but straight to Warner at midwicket.
India 37-1 (5) Rohit 31, Kohli 1, Starc 1-15 (3)
08:56 , Sonia Twigg
The wicket has not affected Rohit though, he has another six down the ground, and India – despite the wicket – are off to a flyer.
Wicket! Gill out for 4! ct Zampa b Starc – India 30-1
08:52 , Sonia Twigg
Australia have their first wicket! It was a poor shot from Gill, just shoveled to Zampa.
Starc will take that, but it’s not the wicket they want, Rohit has been the one inflicting all the damage.
India 30-0 (4) Rohit 25, Gill 4, Hazlewood 0-22 (2)
08:50 , Sonia Twigg
Rohit hits one that just bounces short of Head in the deep, it was a shorter ball from Hazlewood.
And he has his first six, that was a poor delivery from the Australian bowler, the first six of the game and he follows it up with a four along the ground straight back past the bowler.
Australia 18-0 (3) Rohit 14, Gill 3, Starc 0-8 (2)
08:44 , Sonia Twigg
Gill has edged his first ball of the innings and it has fallen just short of slip, that was not a slower ball either, the bowler can’t believe it.
Starc has tried to angle it across to Gill, and was almost rewarded, but he has tried to bowl inswingers to Rohit and try and cramp him.
Rohit has gone for a big shot, and it flies over the infield but has been stopped on the boundary by the wide third man.
India 13-0 (2) Rohit 13, Gill 0, Hazlewood 0-10 (1)
08:40 , Sonia Twigg
Australia have been on it in the field so far, they have dived to cut off runs exactly as they did in the semi-final and there was another one by Zampa the first ball of the second over.
Rohit has his first boundary, he has come down the pitch and smashed Hazlewood to the off-side that was an amazing shot.
A little bit short the next ball and it’s back to back boundaries, the next one is into the gap in the leg side.
The final ball of the over he goes for another big shot but misses it and the ball narrowly missed off stump.
India 3-0 (1) Rohit 3, Gill 0, Starc 0-3 (1)
08:35 , Sonia Twigg
After being struck on the pads first ball, Rohit has his first runs, a wide yorker from Starc is cut away and there’s a sliding stop by Head on the boundary to save two runs.
Starc kept it tight for the rest of the over, but a single off the final ball sees Rohit keep the strike for the next over.
India vs Australia
08:31 , Sonia Twigg
Rohit Sharma will face first, along with Shubman Gill and it’s time for the start of the Cricket World Cup final.
India vs Australia
08:28 , Sonia Twigg
Apparently there are just around 100 Australia fans in the 132,000 crowd, the rest will all be cheering for the home side, there has been a fly past from the India air force, and Mitchell Starc is preparing to bowl.
India vs Australia
08:27 , Sonia Twigg
The anthems are done and it’s almost time for the start, when the India team finished their anthem, a few fireworks shot into the air.
India vs Australia
08:24 , Sonia Twigg
The umpires and players are about to come out onto the field and it’s almost time for national anthems.
There is a huge cheer as Sachin Tendulkar walks out ahead of the teams.
India vs Australia
08:20 , Sonia Twigg
India captain Rohit Sharma has urged his team-mates to contain their emotions as they prepare for a home World Cup final that represents “the biggest moment” of their sporting lives.
Twelve years since their last triumph on the global stage, cricket’s superpower nation is one game away from glory as the duo battle with Australia in Ahmedabad.
Rohit Sharma highlights the importance of India’s work ethic ahead of final
India vs Australia
08:14 , Sonia Twigg
Here are some photos of the toss:
India vs Australia
08:12 , Sonia Twigg
Here are some photos of the team warming up ahead of play:
Australia win the toss and choose to bowl
08:06 , Sonia Twigg
Pat Cummins confirms Australia are unchanged from their semi-final and Rohit confirms he would have chosen to bat if he had won the toss.
Rohit Sharma: “It’s a dream come true to be captaining the team in the final, but there is a task in front of us.”
India are also playing the same team.
Australia win the toss and choose to bowl
08:05 , Sonia Twigg
Pat Cummins has won the toss and will bowl first: “It looks like a bit of a drier wicket, so bowl on it during the day and chase on it in the evening.
“We’ve played these guys a lot, it’s always a fantastic day and I don’t think it’ll be any different today.”
India vs Australia
08:00 , Sonia Twigg
In case you were wondering, here is what has been decided for the additional performances at the stadium:
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 finale between India and Australia on Sunday will feature performances by Dua Lipa and an aerial show by the Indian Air Force.
The high-profile match will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the largest cricket stadium in the world, and will have several VIPs attending, including the Indian and Australian prime ministers.
Cricket World Cup final to include pre-game show featuring Dua Lipa and IAF flypast
India vs Australia
07:50 , Sonia Twigg
Onto the match itself, and here is a pitch report:
Hosts India will face Australia on Sunday 19 November in the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
The 48-game tournament will conclude at the 130,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the largest cricket stadium in the world.
Both India and Australia have had stellar performances throughout the World Cup, and the teams are now just one step away from achieving the greatest accolade in cricket.
IND v AUS: Narendra Modi Stadium pitch report, Ahmedabad weather ahead of WC final
Click here to read the full blog on The Independent’s website
First appeared on sports.yahoo.com