Clinical Australia bundle out India for 240 in World Cup final

India were bowled out for a total of 240 runs in just 50 overs after being asked to bat first on a slow and dry pitch in Ahmedabad. KL Rahul and Virat Kohli played a resilient innings to help India reach the score of 240 in the World Cup final against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. It was a clinical performance from the Australian bowlers backed by excellent fielding, which left India struggling to produce a competitive total.

After being put into bat, Rohit Sharma gave India a strong start with 47 off 31 balls. However, Australia fought back and took three wickets, reducing India to 81 for 3. Kohli and Rahul then tried to rebuild the innings with a partnership of 67 runs before Kohli was dismissed for 54 by Pat Cummins. It was challenging for India to score boundaries thereafter, and Suryakumar Yadav could not contribute much towards the end of the innings, managing just 18 runs.

Australia’s bowlers were impressive, with Mitchell Starc picking up three wickets for 55 runs. Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood took two wickets each, while Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa claimed one wicket each. Pat Cummins’ decision to field first, to avoid the disadvantage of a dewy ball at night, surprised many. However, the Australian bowlers, backed by exceptional fielding, restricted India’s scoring chances.

Rohit Sharma entertained the crowd with three sixes in his innings but was dismissed just before the end of the power play. He tried to beat Glenn Maxwell but mistimed the shot, with Travis Head catching it over the top at cover.

Kohli, on the other hand, hit three consecutive boundaries off Mitchell Starc, but India reached 81-3 in the 11th over when Shreyas Iyer was caught behind by Pat Cummins. Kohli, who was the tournament’s top scorer, reached his ninth half-century in 11 innings but was dismissed early after cutting a delivery from Cummins on his stumps.

KL Rahul’s half-century was a reflection of the difficulty of batting on the field, as he managed to hit just one four during his innings. Australian keeper Josh Inglis set a record for the most catches in a World Cup final by taking five catches.