ODI World Cup 2023

[Pies4shaw]

And Hazlewood is Jadeja's bunny! Oh, no, woops. 5/178. India at genuine risk of not making 400, now.

[lazzadesilva]

[Donny]

8/214 as Zamps gets his first.

5 overs to come.

[Donny]

Last over.

Hazlewood to bowl. Kuldeep facing.

1. Single

2. Four

3. Single

4. Dot

5. Single

6. Single. Run out

9/240.

[Donny]

Looks light on but, as the old addage says .....

[Pies4shaw]

^ Not that it matters greatly but the Indians were actually all out with that final runout.

That's two big finals in a row that Australia has bowled out allegedly strong batting lineups.

[Donny]

15 from the first over.

[Donny]

Could well have left that one alone, Davy. Out to Shami's second ball for 7.

1/16.

[Donny]

Nice sixer, Mitch.

1/41 after4 overs.

[Donny]

Come on. boys. you're not chasing 400, or even 300.

What's with the obsessive wafting outside off ??

[Donny]

Fifty partnership between Head and Labu.

Oz 3/100.

[Donny]

Under 80 needed.

Head 86*, Labu 37*.

[pietillidie]

Cummins and co. deserved the benefit of the doubt when putting India in to bat. With some teams you might worry it was a strained reaction betraying fear, but they've never struck me as prone to that kind of thing.

So, once they were sure they were reading the conditions right, I reckon they took the chance to put a home team prone to feeling the pressure under the spotlight. Smart and aggressive.

Fantastic win and what an innings from Head, not to mention that catch. I always tell people here that they write off the Aussies at their own peril. They're the last team you want to play in a big final, especially when you're fancied.

[Pies4shaw]

So, to the game summary.

Richie Benaud says it was a very poor decision to put India in. And he's right! After the Indians amassed that 450 target, Australia was chasing the game from a long way behind. Despite the heroic effort, they were never really in the contest and fell about 300 short. Kohli's 173* was a sublime effort in difficult circumstances. A national holiday to mark the celebration will, of course, be declared in India....

.... But wait! Harsha Bhogle has woken up with a start!

The day of Indian national celebration is actually a day of national mourning. Head has made 137 from 120 balls, chasing a target of just 240, mostly in a partnership of 192 with Marnus - and ruined a perfectly good game of cricket.

(Great to see that Kohli got player of ther series. That's the trophy he wanted to take home, I'm sure.)

Sing it all together, Jon Bon Jovi leading the way:

"Shot through the heart, Ravindra Jadeja's to blame/
He gives spin bowling a bad name...."

Best of 5, anyone?

[stui magpie]

Whoooo Hooo.