India ready for ‘pressure’ in the World Cup final with Australia
Nov 18, 2023
India, the undefeated hosts, are confident to halt all activities on Sunday as their cricket squad, captained by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, engages in a highly predicted match against the five-time victors, Australia, in Ahmedabad.
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India's captain, Rohit Sharma, remains confident that his team will not surrender to the "emotions" and "pressure" of being hosts in the Cricket World Cup final on Sunday. Despite being the heavy favorites and boasting a flawless record in the tournament, Sharma assures that nothing has changed heading into their match against Australia in Ahmedabad.
A victory for India would mark their third World Cup title, following their successful home win in 2011 that brought immense joy to the nation's 1.5 billion people.
“Emotionally it’s a big, big thing,” India's captain, Rohit Sharma said before the final.
The biggest cricket ground in the world is the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, boasting a capacity of 130,000 spectators.
In 2011, the final match took place at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, where MS Dhoni led the Indian team to victory against co-hosts Sri Lanka, lifting the trophy.
However, apart from that significant win, India has failed to impress at the World Cup since their defeat to Australia in the final in 2003.
On that day, India coach Rahul Dravid was on the losing side. Rohit states that they want to correct the situation for Dravid, who was involved in the unsuccessful 2007 campaign and later lost his position by the time of the 2011 victory.
Facing India in the final would have been an enormous challenge for anyone.
However, if there is any team capable of defying the odds, it is the five-time winners Australia.
In his preview of the final, Australian legend Jason Gillespie said to Al Jazeera that although India is a formidable team, they are still vulnerable and can be defeated.
The hosts have triumphed in all 10 games leading up to this stage, including their first match against Australia where they managed to recover from the loss of three early wickets and chase down a target of 200 with only two runs on the board.
Cummins expressed excitement, saying, "It's going to be incredible! They've been playing exceptionally well, remaining undefeated throughout this entire tournament."
Australia achieved a notable feat by defeating India in the World Test Championship in England earlier this year, leading up to their victorious Ashes tour where they retained the series through a draw.
If Australia were to win against India once again, it would be a remarkable hat-trick for them, showcasing their dominance. Conversely, the disappointment of India's loss in the Test Championship final at the Oval would be completely erased, particularly among their countless fans.
