Australia World Cup 2023 Team Review: Started From the Bottom And Now They Are World Champions Again
6-time World Champions: Australia have once again proved that there is no better team than them when it comes to the final of the ICC events. Started the tournament in the worst way possible with defeats against India and South Africa, they bounced back in some serious style and went on to script history. Many started writing off the Aussies and called them one of the weakest Australian sides in World Cup history but the senior stars learnt from their mistakes and with the never-give-attitude they won battle after battle. Riding high on confidence with 8 wins in a row, Australia had the biggest test in the final against host India in front of ‘Ocean of Blue’ and they truly showed everyone that they are still the ‘Mighty Australian’ team. They beat India by 6 wickets in a final by outclassing them in all three departments as more than 90 thousand fans in the stadium were silent for the majority of the period.
World Cup 2023: Played: 9; Won: 7; Lost: 2; Standing: Third After League Stage – Beat India in the Final to Win 6th World Cup Title.
High point of the Tournament
Australia’s journey in the tournament was full of highs and lows but it was the match against Afghanistan where they faced both and fortunately for them the highs came in the later stage of the clash. It witnessed arguably the greatest knock in ODI history – Glenn Maxwell – 201 runs* off 128 balls, definitely a knock for ages. Chasing a 292-run target, Australia were on the verge of suffering the biggest upsets in World Cup history as the Afghans were all over them. The Aussies were seven down for just 91 runs in 18.3 overs and then the cricketing world witnessed a partnership between Maxwell and Cummins which had everything – grit, determination, resilience and the power of Maxwell.
The skipper held one end as he scored 12 runs* off 68 balls which was the need of the hour. Meanwhile, Maxwell produced superhuman stuff as he battled through cramps and back pain to switch on the carnage mode and smashed the Afghan bowlers all around the park on almost one leg. He finished off the match in style with a six to complete his century and seal the win which gave the much-needed boost to the Australian side.
Low point of the Tournament
They started the tournament at the bottom and when they picked up there was just no stopping for them. Losing the first two games against India and South Africa put doubts over the credibility as people started writing them off from the tournament and many predicted that they to not qualify for the semifinals. It was not only the defeats but the performances of batters which led to all those conjectures. They were bundled out for below 200 in both matches – 199 against India and 177 against South Africa.
Captaincy verdict
2 ICC titles for Pat Cummins inside six months – World Test Championship and ODI World Cup. It’s never easy to win 9 matches in a row in a tournament like the World Cup especially when you have started the tournament with two big losses. But Cummins pulled his boys and reminded them why the majority of them became the World Champions in 2015. Before the final, Cummins said he would love to silence the partisan ‘home’ crowd in the World Cup final and he kept his word by dismissing the opposition’s best batter Virat Kohli when he was looking dangerous and already scored 54. He silenced more than 90 thousand India fans inside the stadium and millions sitting at home watching the clash on their TVs and digital platforms.
Most valuable player
Travis Head: There is a reason by Australia backed the opening batter despite him getting injured right before the tournament. Australia picked him in the squad and missed the initial stage due to a fractured arm and when he returned it was an instant impact with a sublime century against New Zealand. The 29-year-old produced match-winning performances in both semi-finals and finals to help Australia lift the sixth World Cup trophy. He scored 329 runs in 6 matches which included a 137-run at the biggest stage in the final.
Major disappointment
Steve Smith. It might be the last ODI World Cup for the premier Australia batter but he failed to set the stage on fire. The Australian team produced collective efforts on the field to lift the title as almost every player made a valuable contribution and considering other stars’ performances, Smith was a big letdown. He scored 302 runs in 10 matches and managed to score just two half-centuries. The 35-year-old also failed to live up to the expectations in the semi-final an final, fortunately for Australia other players stepped up on the occasions.
Tournament Verdict
Started from the Bottom and They are the World Champions For Record 6th Time.
Statistics
Most runs: David Warner – 535 runs in 11 matches
Most wickets: Adam Zampa – 23 wickets in 11 matches
Highest individual score: Glenn Maxwell – 201 runs* vs Afghanistan
Best Bowling Figures: Adam Zampa 4/8 vs Netherlands
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