Australia Stuns India To Clinch Sixth World Cup Title

Australia stunned India in the World Cup final played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Australia defeated India by six wickets to clinch its sixth World Cup title. Playing at the jam-packed stadium, Australia was not the favourites at all, but the Kangaroos came out with an inspiring performance, first with the ball and then with the bat.

Put in to bat, India ended up with a below-par 240 despite contributions from Rohit Sharma (47 off 31 balls), Virat Kohli (54 off 63) and K L Rahul (66 off 107). Just like his performance in the WTC final against India in June, Travis Head made a match-winning 137 off 120 balls as Australia chased down the target in 43 overs. Indian hopes were raised when Australia lost three wickets for 47 but a 192-run partnership between Head and Marnus Labuschagne (58 not out) shut the door on the opposition.

The dew in the evening also made batting easier on a slow and dry surface. India, who were the only unbeaten side going into the final after 10 wins on the trot, fell flat in the final hurdle. Their last world title came way back in 2011 and their last ICC trophy was the Champions Trophy triumph in 2013.

India's defeats in the ICC events over the past decade include the loss in 2014 World T20 final, 2016 World T20 semifinal, 2017 Champions Trophy final, 2019 ODI World Cup semifinal, 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal and back-to-back runners-up finish in the 2021 and 2023 World Test Championship cycle.

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Australian side and tweeted, "Congratulations to Australia on a magnificent World Cup victory! Theirs was a commendable performance through the tournament, culminating in a splendid triumph. Compliments to Travis Head for his remarkable game today."

Also, the PM hailed the Indian team's performance in the World Cup and said, "Dear Team India, Your talent and determination through the World Cup was noteworthy. You've played with great spirit and brought immense pride to the nation. We stand with you today and always."

Man Of The Match: Travis Head

Man Of The Series: Virat Kohli

Brief scores: India: 240 all out in 50 overs (KL Rahul 66, Virat Kohli 54; Mitchell Starc 3/55). Australia 241/4 in 43 overs (Travis Head 137, Marnus Labuschagne 58 not out; Jasprit Bumrah 2/43).