Berliner Boersenzeitung - India eyes fairytale finish in World Cup final against Australia

EUR -
AED 4.176264
AFN 79.548567
ALL 98.391091
AMD 436.232068
ANG 2.034873
AOA 1043.206027
ARS 1286.692883
AUD 1.750878
AWG 2.048029
AZN 1.937421
BAM 1.959953
BBD 2.296466
BDT 138.537832
BGN 1.956978
BHD 0.428641
BIF 3385.032571
BMD 1.137004
BND 1.463139
BOB 7.859863
BRL 6.419304
BSD 1.13744
BTN 96.955158
BWP 15.267756
BYN 3.722286
BYR 22285.28547
BZD 2.284702
CAD 1.56196
CDF 3257.517905
CHF 0.933497
CLF 0.027894
CLP 1070.399095
CNY 8.191325
CNH 8.155272
COP 4715.157084
CRC 578.541218
CUC 1.137004
CUP 30.130616
CVE 110.500126
CZK 24.862424
DJF 202.068862
DKK 7.464552
DOP 67.172341
DZD 150.363188
EGP 56.7187
ERN 17.055065
ETB 153.976646
FJD 2.560311
FKP 0.846948
GBP 0.839551
GEL 3.115836
GGP 0.846948
GHS 12.567964
GIP 0.846948
GMD 81.864718
GNF 9852.87867
GTQ 8.7305
GYD 237.960527
HKD 8.906099
HNL 29.605736
HRK 7.537889
HTG 148.825367
HUF 403.94398
IDR 18472.057095
ILS 4.106035
IMP 0.846948
INR 96.73184
IQD 1489.957283
IRR 47896.309096
ISK 145.150415
JEP 0.846948
JMD 180.743002
JOD 0.806181
JPY 162.087976
KES 146.958251
KGS 99.431468
KHR 4552.767634
KMF 494.032708
KPW 1023.258258
KRW 1552.841401
KWD 0.348515
KYD 0.947834
KZT 581.73295
LAK 24573.721144
LBP 101910.541706
LKR 340.511559
LRD 227.478038
LSL 20.35834
LTL 3.357279
LVL 0.687763
LYD 6.214168
MAD 10.454854
MDL 19.722313
MGA 5085.911456
MKD 61.548784
MMK 2387.267736
MNT 4064.582023
MOP 9.173281
MRU 45.23285
MUR 51.9729
MVR 17.578517
MWK 1972.23128
MXN 21.880062
MYR 4.81071
MZN 72.666378
NAD 20.35834
NGN 1807.613767
NIO 41.859438
NOK 11.490912
NPR 155.12982
NZD 1.89944
OMR 0.437743
PAB 1.13744
PEN 4.161391
PGK 4.662881
PHP 62.933617
PKR 320.575714
PLN 4.260702
PYG 9074.308656
QAR 4.145521
RON 5.055353
RSD 117.472028
RUB 90.364168
RWF 1629.295536
SAR 4.26456
SBD 9.494859
SCR 16.283149
SDG 682.775298
SEK 10.838385
SGD 1.463556
SHP 0.893507
SLE 25.833161
SLL 23842.413185
SOS 649.994516
SRD 42.270984
STD 23533.694664
SVC 9.952089
SYP 14782.417917
SZL 20.353488
THB 36.95679
TJS 11.658312
TMT 3.9852
TND 3.399704
TOP 2.662982
TRY 44.208326
TTD 7.731588
TWD 34.086713
TZS 3067.073391
UAH 47.211859
UGX 4151.797837
USD 1.137004
UYU 47.250125
UZS 14677.101404
VES 107.840913
VND 29509.811178
VUV 137.766044
WST 3.14678
XAF 657.367334
XAG 0.03395
XAU 0.000339
XCD 3.072812
XDR 0.818875
XOF 657.355746
XPF 119.331742
YER 277.258926
ZAR 20.290025
ZMK 10234.40773
ZMW 31.107739
ZWL 366.11494
  • RBGPF

    3.2000

    66.2

    +4.83%

  • CMSC

    -0.0200

    21.94

    -0.09%

  • NGG

    1.1600

    74.79

    +1.55%

  • VOD

    -0.0700

    10.47

    -0.67%

  • BP

    0.1500

    29.09

    +0.52%

  • RYCEF

    -0.1100

    11.2

    -0.98%

  • RIO

    0.4600

    61.58

    +0.75%

  • BTI

    0.6200

    45.22

    +1.37%

  • RELX

    0.4600

    55.44

    +0.83%

  • SCS

    -0.0600

    10.09

    -0.59%

  • GSK

    -0.2600

    38.66

    -0.67%

  • CMSD

    0.1600

    21.89

    +0.73%

  • JRI

    0.0500

    12.69

    +0.39%

  • BCC

    -0.7700

    86.56

    -0.89%

  • AZN

    0.4600

    70.41

    +0.65%

  • BCE

    0.0600

    21.53

    +0.28%

India eyes fairytale finish in World Cup final against Australia
India eyes fairytale finish in World Cup final against Australia / Photo: Punit PARANJPE - AFP

India eyes fairytale finish in World Cup final against Australia

Rohit Sharma's undefeated India will look to end a 10-year global title drought in front of 130,000 fans in the World Cup final against five-time champions Australia on Sunday.

Text size:

India have racked up 10 straight wins at the tournament as they seek a third World Cup triumph to add to their 1983 and 2011 victories, the last of which came on home soil.

Despite the country's cricket riches, India are without a major international title since the 2013 Champions Trophy and expectations in the cricket-crazy nation of 1.4 billion people have reached fever pitch.

However, the hosts are up against an Australian side who have won eight matches in a row and will be playing in their eighth World Cup final.

"We've won before," Australia captain Pat Cummins said on Saturday.

"I think one of the pleasing things is I still don't feel like we've played the complete game."

- 'Real challenge' -

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, a member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, told TV channel India Today, "This is going to be an unbelievable game".

"You are playing against the five-time champions, a team that knows how to come back from almost impossible situations, who know how to play finals, how to win finals."

"So I believe it will be a real, real challenge for the Indian team but I do believe that Rohit Sharma's men are up for it."

Apart from their five World Cup titles, Australia clinched their maiden T20 crown in 2021 and also beat India convincingly in the World Test Championship final earlier this year.

India handed Australia a six-wicket mauling in the group stage in Chennai four weeks ago where Cummins' side were bowled out for 199.

Australia also slumped to a 134-run defeat by South Africa in pool play but avenged that loss with a tense three-wicket semi-final win over the Proteas in Kolkata on Thursday.

- Red-hot Kohli -

India made the final by hammering New Zealand by 70 runs in Mumbai with a red-hot Virat Kohli hitting a record 50th ODI century.

Kohli, who surpassed compatriot Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 tons, leads the tournament batting with 711 runs including three hundreds.

Rohit is the next best Indian batsman with 550 runs and his leadership has been widely praised -- former England captain Nasser Hussain called him a "real hero".

India also boast the tournament's leading bowler with Mohammed Shami taking 23 wickets in six matches, including 7-57 against the Kiwis on Wednesday.

Despite losing to India and South Africa in their first two matches of the tournament, Australia have bounced back.

They won seven league games on the trot with a hobbling Glenn Maxwell authoring a performance for the ages with his undefeated 201 not out against Afghanistan, rescuing his team from 91-7 and carrying them to their victory target of 292.

Leg-spinner Adam Zampa is their top bowler with 22 wickets with pacemen Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, who both played in the 2015 World Cup winning side, peaking at the right time.

The new-ball duo reduced South Africa to 24-4 in Kolkata, with their performances key to setting up a repeat of the 2003 World Cup final -- where Australia thrashed India by 125 runs in Johannesburg.

Sunday's meeting will be the eighth between the two teams in ODIs in 2023.

"We have played them a lot of times so we know them inside-out," Hazlewood told reporters.

"Same for them, with us. They have been a quality team, they have been on the march the whole tournament. No real weaknesses in their team, so looking forward to Sunday."

India rode on the back of an explosive start from opener Rohit (47) and Shubman Gill (80 not out after retiring hurt) as they racked up 397-4 against New Zealand in the first semi-final.

But Hazlewood preferred to focus on the early stages of India's pool chase against Australia, when the hosts were three down for two runs in pursuit of a modest 200 to win.

"Hopefully similar to last time we played them," Hazlewood said on tackling the Indian top-order.

"We got them out cheaply. I think we made them 3-3 maybe so that would be ideal."

(Y.Yildiz--BBZ)