World Cup: Can India be cricket’s new Australia? Is Blue the new Yellow?
To think of Australian cricket is to think of the hallowed green and golden yellow shirt. Of Shane Warne and Steve Waugh in the baggy outfits and large collars of 1999; of Ricky Ponting in bright yellow with a splash of green on the sides; of Adam Gilchrist in gold and bottle green union of 2007, and Mitchell Starc in the all-gold 2015. Of various other heroes who have rendered the hues of the jersey meanings and emotions deeper than the identity of a country’s sporting uniform. Green and golden yellow — yellow being the most resplendent hue — stands for power, beauty and courage, those characteristics that define the country’s sporting culture.
For 15 years, yellow was the sign of dread and horror, of jealousy and awe. An apparition of the mere colour was enough to induce a cold sweat and stomach churn. No other colour in the game — the different shades of green, blue, maroon or black — could stain, forget discolour, the yellow.
Yellow has not faded this World Cup, but just that a vibrant, bright Blue has put it to shade, letting the tournament aglow in blue. (READ MORE)
Pat Cummins: "I think we saved our best for last. Couple of big match players stood up, and we're pretty stuffed. We've been batting first pretty much for the whole tournament, today we thought, it's a good night to chase down, we thought it might actually get a little bit easier. Everyone was pretty keen to get out there. It was a bit slower than I thought, didn't particularly spin probably as much as we thought either. Everyone adjusted pretty well and bowled some tight lines. On a slow wicket like that with variable bounce, we thought a couple of catchers on leg-side, you got to score in ODI cricket, so put a few catchers there and make them make a couple of decisions. (Fielding) Desperate for sure, it all started last week in South Africa. The boys were fantastic. We've got an ageing side but everyone still throws themselves around in the game. Really chuffed with 240, probably anything under 300 really. I thought 300 might have been tough but achievable on that wicket. We were really happy with 240. I was one of those blocks with the heart fluttering. Magnificent. Marnus walked in with a cool head and Travis does what he does. Really brave, he takes the game on, puts some pressure back on the bowlers and to do it on the biggest stage shows a lot of character. The selectors have backed him in even when he had a broken hand and the medical team to get him back. It is a big risk that we took and it paid off. I was pretty happy throughout the bowling innings. You look around and it is a special moment no matter whatever happened tonight. You gotta go and win the World Cup, you can't wait for it to happen. This year will be remembered for a long, long time and we had a lot of success over the winter and this one peaks it all. At the top of the mountain."
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Rahul Dravid in the PC: "Today wasn't the day for the boys at the office. The quality of cricket, proud of the team and boys. We ran a very good campaign."
"I'm not going to judge, analyze myself (On his two years as coach)."
"We were playing well and are going recognize that Australia is very good team. We were confident and it is going to be a disappointment. When the dust settles, we will think about it."
"I walked off the ground and have not thought about 2027 (On who will be the player for next World Cup)."
"I thought ball was stopping in the afternoon but evening, it was coming nicely on the bat. Just when we thought that we are going well, we lost Virat and then others. If we would have got 280-290, could have been a different game."
"He (Rohit) has been an expectional leader. He is always committed and gave lot of his personal time. He want to lead by example and in entire tournament he did that."
"Sometimes you have to change tactics and we did that in this tournament. Like we did against England. We lost three wickets quickly and whenever we tried to built partnerships, we lost wickets. Australia didn’t lost wickets and they continued. So it is nothing like we played under fear."
"Of course he (Rohit) is disappointed. So are the other boys. There were lot of emotions in the dressing room. It was tough to see. You need to move on."
"I haven’t thought about it (on the future). I was just focused on the World Cup and there is no other thought as of now."
Rohit Sharma: "The result has not gone our way. We were not good enough today. We tried everything but it wasn't supposed to be. 20-30 runs more would have been good, KL and Kohli were stitching a good partnership and we were looking at 270-280 but we kept losing wickets. When you have 240 on the board, you want to take wickets but credit to Head and Labuschagne for putting us out of the game, but I feel wicket got slightly better to bat under lights. Don't want to give that as an excuse. We didn't put enough runs on the board. Credit to those two guys in the middle for putting up an outstanding partnership."
Chants of 'Rohit! Rohit!' from the select Indian fans remaining in the stands as he walks off following his interview.
Virat Kohli named as the player of the tournament. Receives the medal from BCCI President Roger Binny, who stands next to Sachin Tendulkar. He'll know the pain of winning that award after having lost the final to Australia. Oh, the agony of it.
Mohammed Siraj had tears in his eyes. KL Rahul sunk down on his knees. Rohit Sharma's eyes looked red as he walked off the ground. Virat Kohli put his cap on to cover his face. Just shows how cruel the sport is. 10 wins in a row - most by any team in the tournament - but they couldn't win the last one. One will remember their exploits at this World Cup in the many years to come. The fearless batting of Rohit from the word go. The incredible consistency of Kohli. The middle order displays from Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, who only returned from months of injury rehab at the Asia Cup. And perhaps, with the widest of the smiles, the Indian pace attack - Shami, Bumrah and Siraj - that provided the nation with a searing belief through their seam and swing. At the end of all those memories though will be the long faces after the final. Sport.
Travis Head: What an amazing day! Just thrilled to be a part of it. It's a lot better than seeing the World Cup on the couch at home (on his injury). I was a little bit nervous but Marnus played exceptionally well and soaked all the pressure. I felt the way Mitch [Marsh] took the game on set the tone and that was the energy we wanted. It was a great decision to bowl first and the wicket got better as the game went on. It paid dividends and nice to play a role. Again, it is something I work hard on and nice to hold on and contribute in front of a full house. Definitely third on the list (Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Travis Head - Player of the Match in World Cup finals) and nice to contribute.
Mitchell Starc: He [Cummins] was phenomenal and he has been phenomenal all tournament. It capped off an unbelievable eight weeks for this group. To win a World Cup in India...bloody successful and bloody enjoyable.
Steve Smith: It's incredible and yeah it was just a great performance. The bowlers set the tone and the fielding was great this evening. Took the game on and kept playing to our strengths. Wasn't the ideal start for us, but we had the belief. Fortunately, we were able to do that and Australia typically plays well in those [big] moments. Big year for us, also winning the Test Championship.
David Warner: Our bowlers were fantastic and they set the tone from ball one. The fielding again supported that. Look, there was a bit of nervous energy in the dressing room, but fantastic partnership between Heady and Marnus.
Josh Hazlewood: I think it's bigger than [2015 World Cup victory]. Great crowd, Indian fans are second to none. Tonight, we put it together when it counts.
Glenn Maxwell: It was a bit of a slog (the winning hit) but it feels amazing. I sort of resigned to the fact that I wouldn't have to bat but Heady got out but what a win! It's a bit different when you're watching Heady taking on Bumrah. Marnus soaked up the pressure and was outstanding. Heady with his ball-striking was second to none.
Marnus Labuschagne: What we've achieved today is unbelievable. It's the best achievement I've ever been part of. India have been the team of the tournament, but you knew if you play your best cricket, you have a chance. Our bowlers were sensational and Travis put on one hell of a display. The way everything has happened is unbelievable. I'm lost for words. Two months ago, I wasn't even in the one-day team in South Africa.
Just the one run comes from Bumrah's over. A few yellow shirts sparkling more than 100,000 blue ones at this collosus venue. The Australian dugout all in readiness for the celebrations that will follow. It's been put on hold as Head is caught at the deep mid wicket fence by Shubman Gill. Siraj gets a wicket.
In comes Glenn Maxwell, and he pulls it down deep square leg. They run two and that's that. AUSTRALIA ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS FOR A SIXTH TIME.
It had seemed probable for a while. When India managed to get those early wickets but in the end, 241 was made to look like a walk in the park by Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne. Especially after the dew started to settle in. A six wicket thumping it was and it was powered by the bowlers, who didn't give respite to the Indian batters by taking the pace off the ball and managing to do what no other team, including them in the league stage, had at this World Cup before. Run through the entire Indian batting. A performance like that deserved a World Cup title. Let alone, a sixth World Cup title.
As has been the habit between these two Aussie batters, you cross a milestone and you unleash a boundary. Pulls Siraj to the fine leg fence for four runs. Glenn Maxwell clenches his teeth. Another five runs added to the total. 230/3 after 41 overs.
Bumrah in to bowl his eighth over. Labuschagne picks him with a lovely flick shot down the deep mid wicket fence for four. Gets to his half century. A deserved milestone for him. Hasn't had the best of the tournaments but what a lovely cricketing arc. Wasn't part of Australia's initial World Cup squad, scored a sensational half century as a concussion sub in South Africa and has now played a big part in his side's win in the World Cup final. Another round of applause in the Australian dugout, and don't they deserve this.
Siraj into his fifth over. He was brought into the attack late today and has been the most underused bowler. India clearly wanted to bowl half quota from their spinners before dew kicked in. The runs on the board perhaps will be the biggest talking point. The pressure just wasn't enough on the batters despite the fall of three early wickets.
Kuldeep Yadav takes a meaty blow from Travis Head. Full ball, on the stumps, and Head kneels low to dispatch one over the ropes for six. It's been such clean hitting from the opener. Only a matter of time now as 10 more runs from the 38th over. The camera pans to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. What a World Cup they've had but no to be.....
200 up for Australia as Siraj comes back into the attack.
150 partnership up between Head and Labuschagne. And they continue to smother boundaries. A short ball from Siraj gets pulled for six. Nine runs come from the over.
Tanishq Vaddi: Australia has 7 players in their squad who have won the 2015 World Cup compared to the two India had. Though it felt like India had the upper hand coming into the tie, the pedigree and know how to win the finals showed by the Aussies in the first innings has been immense for Cummins and Co. India on the other hand, right from ball one - when Kohli and Gill looked at each other when Bumrah's edge of Warner went in between them - looked nervous and have made silly errors with the ball later.
Travis Head with back-to-back boundaries off Kuldeep Yadav. Nudges it down for a single and GETS TO HIS HUNDRED. WOW!
In the same year, he has a century in the WTC Final and another one in the ODI World Cup final. The Ahmedabad crowd stands to applaud the genius of the Australian opener as he brandishes his helmet out for the celebration. He looks to have been liberated with the milestone.
Out comes the slogsweep off Ravindra Jadeja for six over the mid wicket. India's worst nightmare has come true in Ahmedabad and it is scarring another generation of fans watching India play Australia in a World Cup final. 192/3 after 35 overs.
Tanishq Vaddi: Pat Cummins in his press conference had spoken about silencing the crowd and for the most part in this final, Australia has done so. Cummins also mentioned about the pitch, emphasizing that Australia were prepared for whatever was thrown at them and the team has walked their skipper's talk. Right from the toss when Cummins opted to bowl to the fields set for every batter, the Australian management seemed like they had done their homework. And the kangaroos have been the one team who have exploited the weakness of this Indian side where most batters don't bowl that often and vice versa.
It's Kuldeep Yadav, who's brought in to bowl from the other end. Same description as the previous over. Just the two runs from this over, and Jadeja's next, Australia don't need to be overtly aggressive here.
Spin from both ends and Pat Cummins' decision to bowl first has only looked more and more brilliant as the game has progressed. 174/3 after 33 overs.
Even the three runs from Jadeja's eighth over feel like a dagger in the Indian hearts. Head and Labuschagne haven't taken any big risks, rotated strikes for the most parts of this middle overs passage and yet, find themselves in touching proximity of the total. 71 runs needed to win off the last 19 overs as Virat Kohli has a conference with Rohit Sharma. What do they do differently from here? Can something still be salvaged from here?
Jasprit Bumrah with another over and this is better from India's premium speedster. Just the two runs off his latest. They need him to bowl all of the remaining overs, don't they? *Sighs into eternity*
Credit though has to be given to the Aussies for the way they've dealt with the middle overs. 167/3 after 30 overs.
India running out of answers here. That Bumrah lbw cry had a sound of desperation about it. The faces after it was deemed in favor of the Aussies said a lot. The camera pans through the myriad of blue in the stands says a lot more. Three runs from Jadeja's latest.
Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Jasprit Bumrah brought back into the attack and Travis Head hits three fours, and there was an Umpire's Call on Labuschagne that went against India. If you are looking for signs, that is probably the biggest one yet that Australia are on the verge of yet another title.
India's urge for a wicket has gotten to the now or never point. And Rohit Sharma turns to Jasprit Bumrah. Travis Head though, is possessed. Picks India's peak bowler of the night so far for three fours in that over. A hefty 14 runs come from that over.
There's an lbw appeal against Labuschagne but such is India's luck at this juncture, it's the umpire's call that goes against them.
Jadeja into his sixth over. Hundred partnership up between Head and Labuschagne. They just look in so much comfort out there in the middle as of now. Four more singles come off the over. 148/3 after 27 overs.
Shami continues from the other end. And there's an exquisite cover drive that comes off from Labuschagne on the very first ball. Wow. He's gotten in the act here. Shami goes short off the last ball and Head pulls wide of deep square leg for four. The target comes under 100 runs now. 144/3 after 26 overs.
Jadeja from the other end and Travis Head has the rub of the green in his favor. Even an inside edge runs down short third for four. These are the moments that go on to decide the game and they've been going in favor of Australia far more than India. Eight runs come off the over. At the halfway stage, Australia are 135/3.
Shami back into the attack as India grow more desperate for a wicket. Starts off with a half volley and Head isn't going to miss that. Four more. A stunning silence to begin the over. But the crowd comes back into the act towards the end of the over. Synchronized claps as Shami steams in to Labuschagne from over the wicket and sees a couple of perfect straight-batted blocks.
This has been the bigger difference between the two innings. Even the barren passages have brought about five-six runs and boundaries in between and as opposed to the Indian innings that saw heaps of overs with just the two-three runs. Five singles negotiated from that latest over of Jadeja. 122/3 after 23 overs.
This has been such a fine innings from the southpaw. Not the same as his usual ammo. He's had to wait for his moments after the fall of those early wickets. He's kept going and with the dew coming in, may get to reap the rewards for it.
Labuschagne on the other hand also gets his first boundary. The leg break takes a thick edge and it runs down short third for four.
Head finds the boundary off the ball he was looking to target. Siraj goes round the wicket and bangs it short, Head peppers it through the on side for four. Someone drop a pin at this venue.
Runs are not stopping. Will India bring back Shami and Bumrah early or stick with their spinners and Siraj? They definitely need the wickets here. Decisions decisions.
100 up for Australia. This has been a vital partnership and one that India need to break now. Kuldeep's fifth over goes for five runs as Australia continue to inch towards 241.
A neat observation from Nasser Hussain on the comms: "Good thing about Travis Head is he is not just going into his bunker and thinking I will just knock it around. He is still being positive, you can tell from his body language, his intent, if there is a bad ball he will put you away. He picked up Kuldeep perfectly, slogsweep for six, and five fours already."
Siraj turns to the other side, round the wicket against Travis Head. The Australian pair continue to get those singles, even while nudging it to Ravindra Jadeja, whose fielding skills have been compared to "cheetah ki chaal and baanj ki nazar" from Suryakumar Yadav earlier this week. 50 partnership up. 99/3 after 19 overs.
Kuldeep Yadav to bowl his fourth over as the dew starts to settle in at the venue. The grip is still intact though as he manages to bowl to sharp leg breakers. Australia negotiate for a couple of singles in the first over after drinks break. 95/3 after 18 overs.
Vinayakk Mohanarangan: David Warner had quote-tweeted recently "absolutely loved the light show, what an atmosphere. It’s all about the fans. Without you all we won’t be able to do what we love" for Glenn Maxwell's criticism of this. Wonder what they were saying in the dressing room now as another mini light show happened in the drinks break.
Devendra Pandey, reports from the Narendra Modi Stadium: It seems dew has begun to arrive at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the groundsmen have began to use traditional rope to dry it during the drinks break. Australian team had won the toss and elected to field first and dew was certainly one of the reasons kept in mind while opting to do so.
Mohammed Siraj into the attack for the first time this evening. His first ball is a loosener and Travis Head has got the middle of his bat to smack one through covers but Virat Kohli in the infield is sharp like the livewire he is. Head gets a boundary eventually in the over as he opens the face of his bat to get it through deep backward point for four. Six runs from that over. Drinks break to follow.
Sunil Chhetri with a rallying cry on social media before India's bowling innings began: "To every Indian supporter in the stadium - make sure that our bowlers run up to a roar for every SINGLE BALL. This team has given us 10 flawless games. Let’s give them an unforgettable one. Pull these boys over the line."
Kuldeep Yadav into his third over. Manages to bamboozle Labuschagne off a sharp leg-breaker. The right-hander was looking to lob it on the leg side but almost manages to get it to Gill at square leg.
Later in the over, Travis Head takes to the skies. Heaves a slot ball over deep mid wicket for a six and the crowd goes silent once again. 87/3 after 16 overs.
Jadeja again. Fires through his over like a flash. Australia ahead on the run rate at the moment. Above five at this point and Head-Labuschagne will know that even nudging for three-four runs every over will be enough at this point. Just like this over. Four runs come off it. Australia are 78/3 after 15 overs.
Head looks to execute a cover drive but Kuldeep has got it to turn back in to the left hander with a sharp googly. The southpaw, had made room for himself to meet the ball from the sweet spot, not anticipating the stock ball. Good turn on offer. Can the Indian spinners continue the momentum in India's favors as the quicks had. Four runs off the over.
Jadeja to Labuschagne, and the 'oohhs' ring loud around the infield and later through the stands as the left-armer beats the latter on the outside edge. Labuschagne has looked short of confidence for most parts of this World Cup with the bat. Can he deliver on the biggest stage? Jadeja runs through his second over in a jiffy. Two runs off it.
Right then. It'll be spin from both ends as Kuldeep Yadav comes in from over the wicket to use that sharp angle to bring the ball back into the right hander. Manages to do that off the first ball and Labuschagne has his lips pursed. India looking to mount further pressure, it seems, by getting through the overs quickly by the spinners.
Mihir Vasavda: Only Head (21) has contributed more to Australia's total than the extras tally (17). In fact, extras India have conceded is more than individual scores of 7 batsmen.
Ravindra Jadeja into the fray. A couple of lbw appeals. "Bat," says KL Rahul of the first. While the second, where Jadeja ran all the way down to his keeper in his act of appeal, it may have been a matter of missing the leg stump. Yep, ball tracker from the broadcasters proves that. Five runs come off the left-arm orthodox's first over. Australia, 65/3 after 11 overs.
The camera pans on Mohammed Siraj, who is yet to have a go with the ball, as he has in all 11 India games in the lead up to the final. Not tonight, as Mohammed Shami scampers in from over the wicket to wrap up the powerplay.
Travis Head's patience has run out though. A good roll of the overs for the Indian quicks and he decides to go after Shami with back-to-back boundaries. Opens his blads to angle one down short third for four before drilling one don the non-striker for four. End of the field restrictions, Australia are 60/3.
Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Steve Smith, usually a fantastic reader of the game, decided not to review that LBW decision against him. Impact, as it turned out, was outside the offstump. It's the sort of mistake you don't typically associate with Australia in a big match at the World Cup, a team that prides itself on minimising errors.
Bumrah to complete the halfway mark of his ten overs quota.
Excellent mounting of the pressure as Marnus Labuschagne looks to settle in. Goes for a slower one and it spins wider on the second bounce to deceive KL Rahul and run down the boundary for four runs. A dejected look from Bumrah, Rahul and captain Rohit Sharma. Virat Kohli gets the crowd to up the decibel levels like the orchestra lead as he has been. And they follow his lead. Just the four byes from the over. Fifty up for Australia.
First four overs: 41/1
Next four overs: 6/2, two maidens
Shami for a fourth. India can feel another here as their leading wicket taker whiskers a couple of balls from near Travis Head's outside edge. This has been a good comeback from Shami, who was straying too far wide in his initial couple of overs. Now, back at his precise best, working on that proverbial fourth-stump channel and he delivers a maiden over to follow up to that one-run over of his.
Bumrah for his fourth. Hear the stadium announcer, can you? 'Boom, Boom!' he exclaims on the mic as the crowd follows with 'Bumrah!'. India are surely back into this game.
Smith though silences the crowd with a picture perfect on drive for four. But hang on, hang on. Bumrah with an exquisite nipped in delivery that thuds into Steve Smith's pads and there's a loud lbw appeal. AND THE UMPIRE RAISES HIS FINGER, AND THE CROWD GOES WILD. Look at Bumrah, his neck veins popping out gorgeously as he pumps his fist. Look at Kohli, who runs down Smith's neck to celebrate. India have a third! Absolute scenes in Ahmedabad right now. Australia, three down for 47.
Steve Smith is the new man in for Australia but it's Travis Head on strike as Mohammed Shami runs in for his third over. Better this from India's seam ball badshah, as he caters to the length and the line that's worked wonders for him at this World Cup and over years of hard grind honing his art to perfection. Just the one run comes off his over. And just like that, 241 looks a different total. Question is, how long can Indian continue to pin this pressure? How long before the dew comes into play, if it comes into play?
Mihir Vasavda: In Bumrah's previous over, Marsh tried to slash Bumrah a couple of times but the ball went past the edge narrowly both times. Bumrah gets his man on third attempt. Not his best delivery, but Marsh tried to slash once again and this time, the ball catches the under edge. Brilliant maiden wicket.
Bumrah to Marsh again. The latter looking to advance down but Bumrah squares him up off the first ball of his third. The second nips in sharply. Good contest this with Marsh yet to pick Bumrah's brains on which way the ball is going. The next one: it's wide and Marsh looks to cut it but induces an edge and KL Rahul takes the catch. GONE!
Bumrah with the fist pump, Kohli with the fist pump, Rohit jumps in jubliation, and India have their second wicket. The Narendra Modi Stadium pops again. It was back of a length and kept lower than what Marsh had expected. That wink from him on his way back to the dugout tells a story. A wicket maiden from Bumrah. Australia, 41/2 after five overs.
Shami starts off his second with another wide. Three more runs as a result for Australia. Shane Watson emphasizes on a clarity in thought for India's leading wicket taker to stick to the length and the seam release. He's been getting it to move way too much tonight. Very unlike the good length menace we've seen at this World Cup.
Marsh has perhaps smelled the nerves and takes the aerial route as he shimmies down and lofts one over long off to silence the thousands in the stands. Another hefty over for the Aussies. 12 runs come from it.
Bumrah to Marsh. He'd removed him on the outside edge in that first match between these two sides and he's already tested the right hander twice in that territory in their first meeting since.
Comes round the wicket to Head, and it whiskers past the southpaw's outside edge as well - twice. He's getting close, isn't he? Good comeback this from Bumrah after that 15-run over. Just the one run from the over.
Venkata Krishna B: So far, India have opened the bowling with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. But, here in the final, Rohit Sharma threw the new ball to Shami. Apart from being their in-form bowler, Shami knows these conditions better than anyone else. It was at this venue, during the IPL that Shami's renaissance the with white-ball started. With the sort of swing he is generating, which he found during the IPL as well, causing all sorts of problems, India will hope he can make further inroads.
Mihir Vasavda: Shami continues his splendid form against lefties. Before this match, his tournament figures against left-handers were 8 wickets in 52 balls, averaging 4. He needed just one legal delivery to get rid of Warner. Brings the stadium back to life.
Mohammed Shami, not Siraj in from the other end. India clearly in search of that early wicket. First ball goes down the leg side. Mild caught behind appeal but wide signalled. Second go from round the wicket and it's wide outside off, Warner pokes it and it lands straight to Virat Kohli in the slips. India have their first wicket and the blue in Ahmedabad pops loud. Some celebrations as Australia's big man walks back.
Mitchell Marsh is the new man in and gets an inside edge of the first ball but gets lucky with the stumps. Shami, strays one down the leg side, and it's too far down the leg side for Rahul to save. Four wides. Next ball, Marsh takes the intiative, whacks it through the infield on the off side for four. 13 runs come from the second over. 28/1, Australia.
Bumrah steams in from over the wicket and swings the ball a mile away and it takes an outside edge and lands between Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill to run down the short third for four. There's movement on offer but what was that from the two fielders in the cordon. Kohli and Gill stood frozen as the ball ran past them for four. Warner steals another three with a punch through the off side.
Bumrah has come round the wicket but Head continues the positive intent. A couple more boundaries in that first over. Get this, 15 runs come from the first over for Australia. 2003 much?
The Indian team in the huddle. Game face on. Rohit Sharma in conversation with fielding coach T Dilip before he deliveries the final pep talk. Some important words these from the Indian captain. With 240 runs on board, what would you tell your lads here? Keep calm, trust in the process*. A crucial keyword it's been in this Indian setup. Cliched as it may sound, it is what it is. You've played all your life in the lead up to this game. All it takes is using the learnings you have, the processes you have. It's what Jasprit Bumrah will have in mind as he takes the new ball and feels it in his hand for that first over.
Travis Head and David Warner arrive in the middle. The latter takes the strike. All set for the final innings of this World Cup. Here we go.
2019 World Cup Final: New Zealand 241, followed by England 241...
2023 World Cup Final: India 240... what follows now?
Can't be a straight up coincidence, can it? We've seen crazier things happen in this sport. Why not on the biggest night of them all. Can't judge a surface till both the teams have batted on it. India surely have the arsenal in their lineup to defend. Do they have the conditions in their favor. Dew had turned up by 6:30 pm yesterday. Will it be the decisive factor once again tonight? India had managed to defend an even less total against England. Can Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami turn up early today? The first 10 overs, as has been blasted through your ears time and again this tournament, going to be crucial.