Close win for Rohit & Co today?

If the final is competitive, it will boil down to a nail-biting cliffhanger. I expect India to perform at their best and Australia to falter slightly, producing a narrow home victory that will set off a wild round of celebrations

The main aim of an elite tournament like the men’s 50-over World Cup is to have the two best teams reach the final after a competitive and exhausting round-robin fixture list.

The organisers would’ve been over the moon when the favourites - home team India - skated to victory in the first semi-final.  Tournament wishes were then answered when the second-best side Australia, finding form at the appropriate time, slipped into the final as South Africa faltered in typical style to lose a nail-biting second semi-final.

Also Read: ICC World Cup 2023: Super Sunday Showdown

As ordered, the two best teams in the final, sadly without an ultra-competitive round-robin part. Now what we hope for - all but the hometown pundits - will be a finale fitting for the occasion.

Best batter, bowler for India

India start favourites as the best all-round side and they also boast both the leading run maker—the commanding Virat Kohli—and its wicket-taker, the metronomical Mohammed Shami.

Also Read: ICC World Cup 2023: A look at India's performances in finals of Cricket World Cup

Australia are worthy opponents. In Mitchell Starc, they have not only a proven wicket-taker, but also a bowler whose left-arm variety has troubled Kohli. In David Warner and Travis Head, Australia possess an explosive opening partnership who will test the nerve of India’s formidable new-ball attack. Then, in the middle order is Glenn Maxwell, an extraordinary power player, who can be either an unstoppable match winner or a rank disappointment utilising exactly the same method.

Both teams have batsmen who can explode and post an almost impossible target but equally, the two sides possess strong bowling attacks capable of restricting their opponents to an attainable target. 

This is a mouth-watering match-up of the two best teams in the tournament.

Perhaps it’s too much to hope for that a well-balanced pitch is prepared that purely follows the instructions of the local groundsmen. If that were to happen, it would be ideal if the pesky dew then played no part in the end result.

Win toss, bat first  

First up, what to do at the toss. The team that win the coin flip should consider batting first and both putting a solid target on the board and also consigning their opponents to field in the heat of the afternoon.

The last thing either India or Australia want in order to clinch the trophy, is to be chasing a daunting target like the one New Zealand faced in the semi-final.

One factor which will play a big part in deciding the final will be the nerve of each team’s main bowlers. The team that hold its nerve best when the other team choose full attack mode will go a long way towards winning the match.

Bowling for wickets rather than seeking containment is a must, as is continuing to search for victims in the middle-overs. If a team are bowling to their opponents’ best batsmen in the final overs of the innings, they are destined to be facing a large target.

This is where Australia, known to falter against good spin bowling, possess a weakness India will be keen to exploit. Australia will have to overcome that vulnerability if they are to prevail in the final.

Equally, Australia know if they can blast out a few top-order batsmen, it will curb India’s desire to attack as they have an acknowledged fragile last four. This is where Australia’s prodigious pace attack of Starc, the relentless Josh Hazlewood and the inspirational Pat Cummins need to be at their best with the two new balls.

It’s likely that Indian captain Rohit Sharma will try, as he’s done in the past, to set the pattern by orchestrating a fast start. If Australia are superb in the field, as they were against South Africa, it will make Rohit’s task more difficult.

If the final is competitive, it will boil down to a nail-biting cliffhanger, which is exactly what you should expect from the two best teams.

I expect India to perform at its best and Australia to falter slightly, producing a narrow home town victory that will set off yet another wild round of celebrations.

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