The Indian batters fell short of 21 runs making Australia
the world champion for a record-extending sixth time!
Indian batters have finished with a total of 3,038
runs combined, the second-most by batters from any side. England is at the top
with 3,059 runs in the 2019 edition.
Indian batters concluded an explosive Cricket World
Cup with a disappointing performance in the finals against Australia at the
Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
The Pat Cummins-led side played like a champion team
against the Rohit Sharma-led India and deservedly won the title in Ahmedabad.
Coming into the match, India were clearly the
favourites, being the only undefeated team in the tournament.
However, Australia showed once again why they have the
most number of World Cup titles as they saved the best for the last.
Batting first, the famed Indian cricket team batting
line-up failed to fire and set a below-par 241-run target for Australia.
For India, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul scored
half-centuries while Rohit Sharma slammed 47 off 31 balls. In reply, Australia
reached home in just 43 overs with Travis Head top-scoring with a 120-ball 137.
India was bundled out for 240 in their 50 overs after
being put to bat first by Aussies.
On a tough batting surface, skipper Rohit Sharma (47
in 31 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes), Virat Kohli (54 in 63
balls, with four boundaries) and KL Rahul (66 in 107 balls, with one four)
posted important knocks.
In this tournament, Virat has been the top run-getter,
both for India and overall. Virat finished with 765 runs in 11 innings at an
average of 95.62, with three centuries and six fifties.
Skipper Rohit Sharma in 11 matches, scored 597 runs at
an average of 54.27. His runs came at a strike rate of almost 126. He scored a
century and three fifties. Rohit’s best individual score of 131 came against
Afghanistan.
The fact that he made over 500 runs with a century,
some half-centuries at a strike rate of over 125 is pretty marvellous and
something rare in ODIs.
Opener Shubman Gill had a solid outing as well,
scoring 354 runs in nine matches at an average of 44.25, with four fifties.
Middle-order batters Shreyas Iyer (530 runs in 11
matches at an average of 66.25, with two centuries and three fifties) and KL
Rahul (452 runs at an average of 75.33 and a strike rate of 90.76, with a
century and two half-centuries) also batted really well to continue the
momentum provided by top-order batter in every game.
Ravindra Jadeja (120 runs in five innings) and
Suryakumar Yadav (106 runs in seven innings) also delivered some vital
contributions.
For England, the toppers in combined run-scoring, Joe
Root was the side’s top run-scorer with 556 runs in 11 matches at an average of
61.77, with two centuries and three fifties.
Besides him, Jonny Bairstow (532 runs), Ben Stokes
(465 runs), Jason Roy (443 runs), skipper Eoin Morgan (371 runs) and Jos
Buttler (312 runs) were also a big part of their maiden title-winning campaign.
Coming to the match between India and Australia, Mitchell
Starc (3/55) was the pick of the bowlers for Australia. Skipper Pat Cummins
(2/34) and Josh Hazlewood (2/60) also bowled well. Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell
got a wicket each.
Australia (Playing XI): Travis Head, David Warner,
Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Josh
Inglis(w), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins(c), Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill,
Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja,
Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.
NE Watch Desk/ ANI
