Australia defeated South Africa by three wickets in the second semi-final of the World Cup in Kolkata on Thursday.
India, meanwhile, had beaten New Zealand in the first semi-final by 70 runs at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, to reach the World Cup summit clash after 12 years.
This will be for the first time in 20 years when India and Australia will face-off in an ICC limited-overs tournament final, having last met in the 2003 World Cup summit clash.
India had locked horns against Australia in the league stage match of the 2023 World Cup in Chennai on 8 October. After Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja had helped India restrict Australia to 199, the Men in Blue found themselves in trouble at 2/3 during the chase. That was until Virat Kohli (85) and KL Rahul (97*) stepped up, building a 164-run stand for the fourth wicket before Rahul and Hardik Pandya (11*) eventually finished the match off in style.
Against South Africa in the semi-final, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc combined to restrict the Proteas to 24/4, before Henrich Klaasen (47) and David Miller (101) forged a 95-run stand to take them to 212.
Australia made a strong start in their reply, with Travis Heaad (62) and David Warner (29) forging a 60-run stand for the opening wicket. However, regular wickets saw them being restricted to 174/6, with Steve Smith (30), Marnus Labuschagne (18) and Josh Inglis (28) failing to convert starts. In the end, it was Mitchell Starc (16*) and skipper Pat Cummins (14*) that led Australia to a three-wicket win.
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Mohammed Shami took a career-best 7-57 as New Zealand, the losing finalists at the last two World Cups, were dismissed for 327 despite Daryl Mitchell's 134.
Ben Stokes is likely to seek a release from Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) keeping in mind England’s hectic red-ball schedule that lies ahead of him.
Stokes, who came out of ODI retirement to take part in the ICC World Cup, is set to undergo a surgery to deal with a nagging knee problem and will hope to regain fitness in time to lead England in their five-Test series against India in early 2024.
CSK, who won their fifth title this year after beating Gujarat Titans in the final, wouldn’t mind parting ways with Stokes given the England Test captain had made just two appearances last season and isn’t likely to bowl anytime soon. The Super Kings had secured Stokes for a whopping Rs 16.25 crore in the previous player auction.
England will play five Tests in India with the final match scheduled to be held from 7 to 11 March. Next year’s IPL is likely to be held from last week of March till end of May.
“Considering that the T20 World Cup is slated in the West Indies and the United States from June 4 to June 30, the hectic itinerary could mean that Stokes will find it very difficult to stay in India for better part of the first five months of the year,” an IPL source in the know of things told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Given the hectic line-up of events, Stokes in any case was unlikely to play full IPL.
IPL 2024 auction is scheduled for 19 December in Dubai and the ten teams will have to submit the lists of players they are retaining and releasing by 26 November.
In case Stokes gets the release, CSK will have Rs 16.25 crores freed for the auction and they could go whole hog for either spin bowling all-rounder Rachin Ravindra or pace bowling all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai of Afghanistan.
Lockie Ferguson likely to be released by KKR
New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson is also likely to be released by Kolkata Knight Riders, given his history of frequent breakdowns, according to Cricbuzz.
Ferguson was bought by Gujarat Titans in 2022 for Rs 10 crore but was later traded to KKR this year.
With inputs from PTI
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The Indian bowlers have taken the 2023 World Cup by storm so far, with the pace trio of Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj sharing 45 wickets between themselves. Apart from the pacers, Ravindra Jadeja (16 wickets) and Kuldeep Yadav (14 wickets) have also been equally impressive.
India’s impeccable bowling attack has helped the hosts remain unbeaten in the World Cup so far, having clinched nine wins in as many matches.
“In terms of the different skills, we have the ability to (take on) whatever challenge that is ahead of us. Maybe different surfaces, we have the bowlers to do that. And we’ve done it,” Mhambrey told ICC following India’s 160-run win over Netherlands on Sunday.
“We’re the only team who are going to play in nine different venues. So for us, it’s nine different surfaces, nine different challenges.
“So, we have the right bowlers to exploit these conditions, and they’ve shown that. All of them on a given day can win a game for their country,” stated Mhambrey.
Mhambrey went onto term Jasprit Bumrah as a “lethal” bowler whereas he complemented Shami’s seam bowling.
“Boom (Bumrah) is a very different action. Just look at the way he’s come back to the game (from injury). The set of skills, the unique action. He completely beats you. Now, he’s got both. He gets the ball in and gets the ball out. He’s become lethal,” the coach said.
“Shami is someone who has the seam (that hits) straight upright. You never know when Shami hits that seam, which way it’s going to come,” added the 51-year-old.
Mhambrey also noted Siraj’s versatility, saying: “Siraj has really kind of grown in the last couple of years. He’s understood his bowling, obviously coming through the ranks. He’s started using different set of skills, the wobble seam.
“Initially, he had the ball coming into right-handers but now, he shapes the ball away. He has the ability and smartness to use the wobble seam and that also worked,” continued Mhambrey.
Mhambrey was all praise for Jadeja’s accuracy, whereas he feels Kuldeep Yadav has improved on his technicality.
“His (Jadeja) ability is very simple. Ability to hit the deck, and hit the lengths spot on. Very accurate. Very miserly in terms of the way he goes about his bowling. Doesn’t give anything away to the batsman.
“Love how Kuldeep has gone about over the last couple of years. He’s done little bit of technical adjustment to his run-up, which has really helped him to add those revs,” said Mhambrey.
“His spin has gone up, speed has gone up. And, someone like a chinaman bowler who does that, doesn’t allow you to step out so easily,” he added.
Although Ravichandran Ashwin has played just the lone match against Australia in Chennai, where he finished with figures of 1/34, Mhambrey feels the all-rounder offers loads of experience to the team.
“Ash (Ashwin) is out and out a match-winner. Love the way he moves about, no airs about playing the game or not playing the game.
“Even when he’s sitting in the dugout when you have those chats with him, he’s always there to guide these guys and comes up with a lot of suggestions,” commented the former cricketer.
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Playing in front of a home crowd in familiar conditions does have its advantages and the Indian team was expected to shine bright in the 2023 ICC World Cup that they are hosting in its entirety. India is regularly counted among the title favourites in ICC as well as ACC events, and more so when matches are taking place on their turf.
Few, however, would have expected Rohit Sharma’s men to dominate they way they have in the league stage of the World Cup, where they not only have won each of their nine matches so far and are currently the only team to not have lost a single match, but have done so in a ruthless manner.
The latest get swatted aside was the Netherlands, whose World Cup journey came to an end with a 160-run defeat at the hands of what surely is among the most clinical teams ever assembled at cricket’s biggest event. And this was despite the fact that the Men in Blue weren’t functioning at the hundred per cent during Sunday’s clash at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the final league match of the tournament.
The Dutch had humbled the Proteas for the second time in as many meetings across ICC events and would have harboured faint hopes of pulling off an even greater upset against the Indians on Sunday.
Those slim hopes, however, quickly faded once India crossed the 300-mark after electing to bat; Rohit and Co would end up with more than 400 on the board and the result was a foregone conclusion by then.
Unlike their meek surrender against Australia in Delhi, however, the Dutch did not go down without a fight against the Indians and ended up posting 250 on the board.
Looking back at the events of the 45th match of the tournament, we list some of the standout moments:
Rohit and Gill toy with Dutch attack
Skipper Rohit and opening partner Gill’s domination of the powerplay has been a key reason behind India’s tall scores — or their comfortable chases earlier in the group stage. The pair wasted little time in taking the attack to the Dutchmen, bringing up the fifty partnership in just six overs and blasting their way to 91 for no loss at the end of the first powerplay. The partnership would touch the century mark before Gill became the first Indian wicket to fall, departing for 51. Rohit too would bring up his half-century, collecting 64 off 51 balls that included two maximums.
Van der Merwe denies Kohli a milestone ton
Among the biggest talking points ahead of the match was the possibility of Virat Kohli breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most ODI tons by bringing up an unprecedented 50th century in the format on Sunday. And the fact that he would have achieved the milestone at the Chinnaswamy, his adopted home ground, would have made the feat even more special.
Kohli started rebuilding the innings after Netherlands had removed both openers, and the decibel levels at the venue were starting to build after he brought up his 71st half-century at a steady pace. Left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe, however, would end up silencing the “Kohli” chants by cleaning up the batting superstar. Kohli departed for 51 as India lost their third wicket with exactly 200 on the board.
Iyer, Rahul guide Men in Blue past 400
Iyer and Rahul went about scoring runs at a steady pace after Kohli’s dismissal, guiding India to 284 at the end of the 40th over without losing another wicket. Having enough wickets in hand gave Iyer and Rahul the license to go for the kill in the final powerplay.
KL Rahul celebrates after bringing up his century in just 62 deliveries during India’s ICC World Cup match against Netherlands in Bengaluru. AP
The acceleration would be particularly destructive from Rahul — who went from 37 in 31 deliveries to 102 off 64, bringing up the fastest World Cup hundred by an Indian along the way. Iyer was relatively sedate, bringing up his maiden World Cup hundred in 84 deliveries and staying unbeaten on 128 off 94.
India had produced one of its most clinical batting displays in recent memory with each member of the top five going past fifty, which surely is great news for their fans ahead of the knockouts.
Kohli and Rohit achieve rare feats
What was unusual in India’s approach with the ball against the Netherlands on Sunday was Rohit deploying a number of part-time bowlers, including Kohli as well as himself. Kohli and Rohit have collected bucket-loads of runs over the years with a number of centuries. For a change, however, the two would celebrate getting a wicket off their bowling on Sunday — a sight as rare as it can get in the current generation.
Kohli would end up dismissing Netherlands skipper Edwards, who was caught down the leg side off a delivery that would have been called a wide as the Chinnaswamy, which had wife and Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma in attendance, erupt in celebration. Rohit, meanwhile, got the honour of batting the winning wicket by having Nidamanuru caught at long on.
Nidamanuru fights back, delays the inevitable
Nidamanuru was the toast of Netherlands’ spirited performance with the bat on Sunday, smashing a 39-ball 54 against the country of his birth to help his side breach 250 before becoming the last batter to fall. The Andhra Pradesh native arrived at the crease after Jasprit Bumrah had cleaned up Bas de Leede with a lethal yorker. The Netherlands had lost their fifth wicket with 144 on the board, and the Indians were hoping to bowl them out for less than 200. Nidamanuru’s rearguard, however, ensured the Dutch finished with a more respectable score on the board even if they were ending up on the losing side.
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