Ahmedabad (Gujarat): The biggest cricket spectacle in recent years is set to unfold this Sunday as an in-form Indian team will square off against the Australian side, who are always known for their spirit to never give up even in adverse conditions.
India have been an unbeaten side in the marquee tournament so far while Australia scripted a winning streak after losing the first couple of games against hosts India and South Africa.
The Indian side is going strong in the tournament and the odds are stacked in their favour considering the form they showcased in the league stage while continuing it in the semifinal against New Zealand at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.
Skipper Rohit Sharma has been providing a blistering start and is at the fifth place in the list of highest run-getters in the tournament. Star batter and former skipper Virat Kohli has proved himself to be a beast in the 50-over cricket stitching an incredible run in the competition. Apart from having the most centuries in ODI cricket, Virat Kohli (711) also has the most runs in a single World Cup edition. 'Mumbaikar' Shreyas Iyer has supported both of them ably with some solid knocks and the batting unit has performed exceptionally well and fired on all cylinders.
While the spin unit was expected to dazzle with the ball, pace bowling has turned out to be a surprise package for the Rahul Dravid-coached side. Pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have been hunting in packs with the latter being lethal against every opposition he has played. Shami is the top wicket-taker in the tournament with 23 wickets to his name while Bumrah has picked 18 scalps in the competition.
Australia started with a couple of losses in the tournament but got to the winning momentum after that winning eight matches on the trot. The trio of opener David Warner, all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, and swashbuckling Glenn Maxwell is amongst the runs and averages above 50 so far in the ICC event. Warner has amassed 528 runs while Marsh scored 426 runs so far in the tournament. Maxwell wasn't very consistent with the bat early in the tournament but he showcased his game-changing ability with a magnificent knock of unbeaten 201 against Afghanistan at the Wankhede.
Adam Zampa have been brilliant in the tournament taking 22 wickets so far while pacer Josh Hazlewood has 14 scalps to his name from 10 innings and both the bowlers have a bowling average below 30. The Australian team will look for their leg-spinner to extract turn from the surface at the Motera.
Australia will have the daunting task of facing a star-studded batting attack which includes the elegance of Rohit Sharma, the sublime timing of Virat Kohli and some solid middle-order batting from Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul.
Overall, the odds are looking to be tilted in the favour of the Indian team as they have form on their side as well as home advantage and it could help them dish out a victory and put an end to the 12-year-long wait.
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