World Cup Final: Australia saved their best for the last, says skipper Pat Cummins

Skipper Pat Cummins revealed Australia had saved their “best for the last” as they defeated an unbeaten India by six wickets to win the ICC World Cup for a record-extending sixth time.

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Cummins invited India to have a bit on a slow surface at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, and the Australians would put a lid on India’s scoring rate despite an attacking start from India captain Rohit Sharma to bowl them out for a modest 240.

Travis Head would then score a memorable 137 and stitch a match-winning 192-run stand with Marnus Labuschagne as Australia recovered from a wobbly powerplay to overhaul the target with six wickets and seven overs to spare.

” I think we saved our best for the last. A couple of big-match players stepped up and chuffed. Today we thought it was a good night to chase and thought it would be easier to chase.

“The pitch was slower than I thought and didn’t particularly spin and we bowled tight lines. On a slow wicket with variable bounce, we had a couple of catchers on the leg side and made a couple of decisions,” Cummins said during the post-match presentation ceremony right before receiving the winner’s trophy from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Deputy PM Richard Marles.

Read | Rohit Sharma laments India losing wickets in a heap after solid start 

Cummins made special mention of Head, who took on the Indian attack at a time when they were on top, having reduced the Aussies to 47/3 in the powerplay. Head nearly didn’t make the World Cup squad due to a broken hand that he had suffered in the tour of South Africa before the mega event, and would return to action in style with a whirlwind ton against New Zealand in Dharamsala.

The South Australian  had also scored a crucial 48-ball 64 against South Africa in a tensely-fought semi-final in Kolkata before starring in Sunday’s final against India with a 120-ball 137 that contained 15 fours and four sixes.

“I was one of those blokes with the hearts fluttering but Head takes the game on, Marnus… I think the selectors backed him even when he had a broken hand. It’s a big risk and it paid off. How fun is he to watch?” Cummins added.

Read | Cummins and Co silence India as proud Australian head rises again

Reacting to his own knock that helped his team win a record-extending sixth ICC World Cup and landed him the ‘Player of the Match’ award, Head admitted he did feel a bit nervous out at the centre in an occasion as big as the World Cup final, while giving credit to Labuschagne for helping absorb the pressure early on during their partnership to allow Head to later break the shackles with a series of boundaries.

“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. 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,” said Head.

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The southpaw, who is also quite handy with his off-spin as was the case in the semi-final victory over South Africa, also lauded Cummins’ decision to bat first on a wicket that was slow and low during the day but became a lot better for the batters under the lights.

“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,” Head added.

There were numerous other reactions coming in from the Australians following their victory over the Men in Blue by six wickets — the exact margin of defeat against the same team during their group stage match in Chennai on 8 October.

Labuschagne, who had also been written off by some when it came to discussions surrounding Australia’s team selection for the World Cup, was overcome by emotion after the victory and said it was the best achievement he had ever been part of.

“What we’ve achieved today is unbelievable. It’s the best achievement I’ve ever been part of. Just to come to India. Ten from ten, with one to play – they’ve been the team of the tournament. They’ve played unbelievably. But you knew if we played our best cricket, we had a chance,” said Labuschagne.

Read | Full list of awards and their recipients in 2023 ICC World Cup final

Seamer Josh Hazlewood, who collected two wickets for 60 runs, felt Australia’s triumph in the 2023 edition of the World Cup was bigger than that of 2015 on home soil.

“I think it’s bigger than 2015. Great crowd, Indian fans are second to none. Tonight, we put it together when it counts,” said the ‘Bendemeer Bullet’.

All-rounder Marsh, who had been a revelation at the top of the order alongside Warner before shifting to the middle-order to make way for a returning Head, said Australia’s struggle at the start of their campaign felt “like an lifetime ago”.

“Pure elation. I said to a few boys just earlier — it’s been hard. We won when Sri Lanka were 0 for 120; that feels like a lifetime ago. But to be here with this group, it’s unbelievable,” Marsh said.

Photos: Australia bag record sixth title with win over India

All-rounder Glenn Maxwell had dished out one of the greatest knocks in cricketing history during the match against Afghanistan in Mumbai and was also involved in a couple of crucial moment. Not only did he induce a leading edge off India captain Rohit Sharma’s bat to dismiss him for 47 though the credit would also lie with Head and his acrobatic catch, he also had the honour of hitting the winning runs after Head was dismissed while trying to finish off in style.

Maxwell later admitted he was resigned to the fact that he wouldn’t get a bat due to Head and Labuschagne’s superb partnership.

“ 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,” added the all-rounder.