Australian captain skipper Pat Cummins fulfilled his pre-match pledge to “silence” the Indian crowd during the high-voltage clash of the ICC Men's World Cup 2023 final at the world’s largest Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The 30-year-old left the crowd in shock after he dismissed the tournament's highest run-getter Virat Kohli in the 29th over of the Indian innings.
The Australian skipper delivered a length ball that Virat Kohli attempted to defend but ended up inside-edging onto his stumps. Cummins, typically known for his composed demeanour, erupted into a jubilant celebration as the fans and supporters were hushed.
Kohli scored his first fifty in the ODI World Cup final, reaching the milestone in 56 deliveries, albeit with just four boundaries. He departed after scoring 54 off 63 balls.
Initially, Australia opted to put India in to bat, a decision desired by Rohit Sharma. Continuing his trend from earlier in the tournament, Rohit (47 off 31) took charge during the powerplay, adopting an aggressive approach.
While he hadn't succeeded in the league game against Australia, Rohit made certain not to restrain himself on the grand stage, taking on the formidable pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
His attack commenced by confidently stepping out and dispatching Hazlewood through the covers before securing a fortuitous boundary over mid-wicket. Overall, he struck three sixes and four boundaries.
Shubman Gill (4 off 7) fell while attempting a short-arm jab, and Virat Kohli partnered with Rohit in the middle. Kohli promptly dispatched three consecutive boundaries off Starc, maintaining the momentum initiated by Rohit.
However, Rohit succumbed to a remarkable running catch by Travis Head, and an over later, Pat Cummins induced an edge from Shreyas Iyer, intensifying the pressure on the hosts.
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