India vs Australia LIVE: Cricket World Cup final reaction after Travis Head century leads Aussies to victory
Australia stunned hosts India to win the Cricket World Cup final by six wickets in Ahmedabad
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Australia won a record-extending sixth World Cup title after opener Travis Head smashed a magnificent century to fashion their six-wicket victory in Sunday’s final against the tournament’s form team India.
Put into bat, India rode battling half-centuries by KL Rahul and Virat Kohli to post a below-par 240 all out in exactly 50 overs at a packed Narendra Modi Stadium.
Australia suffered a top-order wobble of their own but Head’s 137 off 120 balls saw them romp home with seven overs to spare in a match that never reached great heights.
Around 93,000 predominantly Indian fans sat mostly in deathly silence as the home team, who had won 10 matches in a row to make the final, succumbed to their first loss of the tournament
Relive all the match action and reaction below:
Australia 162-3 (28) Labuschagne 34, Head 84, Bumrah 2-34 (6), AUS need 79 off 22 overs
Just sliding down leg and the umpire’s call decision means that Labuschagne survives. Fine margins but it goes the way of Australia on this occasion.
And now Head compounds India’s misery as he pulls another to the ropes with a brutish pull shot. 14 runs from Bumrah’s comeback over. Superb from Head who is guiding his team to victory as things stand.
Australia 157-3 (27.4) Labuschagne 34, Head 80, Bumrah 2-30 (5.4), AUS need 84 off 22.2 overs
Shami doesn’t last long and Bumrah is the man to replace him. Head, though, gives the new bowler the same treatment as he did to Shami and flicks the first ball away for four runs.
There’s almost an unfortunate moment for Labuschagne as Head’s shot deflects off Bumrah and onto the stumps but the Aussie batter is back into his crease in time.
And another four! Head is smashing the life out of this game as he crunches yet another shot to the ropes.
Labuschagne is struck on the pads and Bumrah thinks he has his man. Upstairs they go for a review...
Australia 148-3 (27) Labuschagne 34, Head 71, Jadeja 0-28 (6), AUS need 93 off 23 overs
The hundred partnership comes up between these two as they take another four from the over. There’s a lot of glum faces in the stands here at the Narendra Modi Stadium. It’s not going their side’s way at the moment.
Australia 144-3 (26) Labuschagne 32, Head 69, Shami 1-47 (7), AUS need 97 off 24 overs
Shot! Only his second boundary but that might be the best of the day from Labuschagne as he effortlessly drives Shami to the ropes.
A top edge from Labuschagne follows, but it just falls short of fine leg. A let-off for the Aussie middle-order batsman. And to rub salt in the wounds, Head crunches the final ball of the over to the ropes for another four.
Nine off the over and Australia need under 100 now.
Australia 135-3 (25) Labuschagne 27, Head 65, Jadeja 0-24 (5), target 241
Turn from Jadeja, but a thick outside edge sees the ball fly away to the ropes for four. Not much going India’s way at the minute.
Something has to give here for the home side. Australia are knocking it around with far too much ease as another eight comes up from the latest over.
Only 106 runs needed now as we reach the halfway stage.
Australia 127-3 (24) Labuschagne 25, Head 59, Shami 1-38 (6), target 241
Rohit realises things need to change and brings back Shami - his main man - to try and break this partnership. There’s a bit of noise and excitement from the Indian fans as they see him warm up but that quickly evaporates as Head hits him aerially down the ground for four runs.
A glorious shot to put the pressure immediately back on Shami. Five runs from the over as the Aussies keep that scoreboard ticking over.
Australia 122-3 (23) Labuschagne 25, Head 54, Jadeja 0-16 (4), target 241
Siraj is afforded only three overs in his first spell as Jadeja is back into the attack. The spinner can’t find the answer straight away, though, as they milk an easy five runs off that over.
Australia 117-3 (22) Labuschagne 23, Head 51, Kuldeep 0-30 (6), target 241
A single into the off side brings Head his fifty and it’s a well-deserved one from the opener who stayed calm as chaos went on around him in those early stages.
Edged but no slip! Labuschagne gets away with one as his faint edge scurries away for his first boundary today. Another good over for Australia - seven from it.
Australia 110-3 (21) Labuschagne 18, Head 49, Siraj 0-16 (3), target 241
That is crunched from Head! Siraj bangs it in short but the Aussie opener has no trouble freeing his arms and pulling it to the boundary ropes. A single follows to leave him one shy of a half-century now.
Six more off the over.
Australia 104-3 (20) Labuschagne 17, Head 44, Kuldeep 0-23 (5), target 241
Labuschagne remains calm and happy to take singles; Head a bit more restless and constantly looking to pierce the infield.
Five runs from the over and done with very little ease. India will start to get restless with this pattern sooner rather than later, one imagines.
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