The finale of the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup brings the cricketing extravaganza back to where it all began – the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This grand tournament concludes with a high-stakes clash between two powerhouses: India, two-time champions, and Australia, boasting a remarkable five-time title triumph.
India, the proud hosts of the tournament, have showcased their dominance, clinching ten consecutive victories, including a notable six-wicket win over Australia in the tournament's kick-off at Chennai on October 8. On the other hand, Australia faced initial setbacks with two losses but rallied to secure eight consecutive wins, displaying a resurgence in form.
Statistically, India holds a win percentage of 58% (11 victories out of 18 games) at this venue, while Australia stands at 67% (four victories out of six games) in ODIs. Their last encounter in a Men’s ODI World Cup final dates back to the 2003 edition at Wanderers, Johannesburg, where Australia clinched a decisive victory by 125 runs.
Reflecting on their previous knockout clash in a Men’s ODI World Cup in Ahmedabad, India emerged triumphant with a five-wicket win in 2011 at what was then known as the Sardar Patel Stadium. Since then, substantial transformations have taken place, including the stadium's redevelopment into the colossal Narendra Modi Stadium, now capable of accommodating over one lakh supporters.
Anticipation is rife ahead of Sunday’s showdown, with much curiosity surrounding the pitch, particularly after its recent use in the India-Pakistan league clash on October 14. Insights from Cricket-21.com suggest a trend where captains opt to bowl first in three out of four World Cup matches here, resulting in victories for the chasing side on all three occasions, barring Australia’s win against England by 33 runs.
Statistical analysis of the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup matches at Ahmedabad reveals an average first innings score of 251, with the winning score averaging 286. The middle-overs phase (overs 11-40) has been notably productive for both innings, accumulating 615 runs in the first innings and 599 runs in the second.
Further examination of the innings breakdown indicates the second innings showcasing higher productivity in overs 1-10, amassing 225 runs compared to 189 runs in the first innings. Notably, despite fewer runs scored in the second innings, it boasts a superior run-rate of 7.7 against 6.2 in the first innings.
Moreover, in terms of venue run-rates, the second innings consistently outperforms the first across various phases – overs 1-10, 11-40, and 41-50, exhibiting higher run rates at 6.4, 5.6, and 7.7 respectively compared to 4.7, 5.1, and 6.2 in the first innings.
Bowling dynamics at the venue indicate that pacers have claimed 35 wickets in four matches, surpassing the 22 scalps taken by spinners. Although fast-bowlers boast a superior bowling strike-rate of 32.7 compared to spinners’ 44.8, spinners maintain a more economical economy rate of 4.9 against 6 for fast-bowlers.
In analyzing the optimal bowling lengths, right-arm fast-bowlers have found success in the 6-8m good length and 8-10m back of the length areas, securing 15 and 10 wickets respectively at respective economy rates of 4.8 and 6.2. Spinners, on the other hand, have excelled in the 4-6m good length and 6m+ short length zones, claiming 14 and six wickets respectively at economy rates of 4.2 and 5.8 respectively.
Both India and Australia have showcased their prowess across all facets of the game en route to the World Cup final. Now, as the stage is set in a packed stadium in Ahmedabad, it’s time for one of these formidable teams to seize the day and be crowned the new Men’s ODI World Cup champions.
(With Agency Inputs)
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