Pat Cummins’ spirited Australian team halted the Indian juggernaut in the World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, defeating India by six wickets. India entered the contest on the back of ten straight wins through the league stage and the semi-finals against New Zealand.
However, the Australian bowlers bowled and fielded with great discipline on a tricky wicket before their batsmen – led by swashbuckling opener Travis Head – chased the target of 241 with relative ease. Dignitaries including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Bollywood stars Ranveer Singh, Shah Rukh Khan, and Deepika Padukone were among approximately 92,000 spectators in the stadium.
While this is a remarkable achievement for six-time champions Australia, it was a heartbreaking loss for the Indian team and the millions of Indian cricket fans worldwide. India has not won an ICC tournament since 2013 despite being a strong contender each time. This world cup was no different, as India had a flawless run to the finals and were favorites for the title.
As consolation however, Virat Kohli bagged the Man of the Series award for scoring 765 runs and three centuries through the tournament. Indian bowler Mohammed Shami was also the highest wicket-taker for the tournament with 24 wickets to his name in just seven matches.