Australia stun hosts India to win sixth title

INDIA (BBC) -Australia stunned hosts India in Ahmedabad to win the men's Cricket World Cup for a sixth time.

Australia quietened the wild support from the 100,000-strong home crowd by dismissing their previously unbeaten opponents for 240 before Travis Head's sensational century meant they romped to victory with seven overs to spare.

After their bowlers expertly took advantage of a slow pitch, Australia were themselves reduced to 47-3 as India hit back in an electric new-ball spell.

But Head and Marnus Labuschagne calmly weathered the storm with a stand of 192 as Indian hope drifted from the world's largest cricket stadium.

Head was caught for 132 from 120 balls with just two runs needed, but Glenn Maxwell flogged the winning runs a ball later while Labuschagne ended 58 not out from 110.

The superb wins means Australia extend their record as the most successful side in 50-over World Cup history and now sit four titles clear of the rest of the pack.

It also caps a six-month period in which they beat India to win the World Test Championship and retained the Ashes in England.

India, meanwhile, were left crestfallen as their bid for a first white-ball title since 2011 - a quest that looked unstoppable as they made rampant progress through the semi-final and group stage - fell at the final hurdle.

This was supposed to be India's day in front of an enormous home crowd with their prime minister Narendra Modi, who this stadium is named after, up in the stands.

Instead, it ended in crushing disappointment as Head produced one of the great World Cup knocks and Australia ran out surprise and comfortable winners.

By the time 29-year-old Head reached his century, some in the vast stands had already drifted away while seamer Mohammed Siraj was in tears at the end.

Australia were contenders when this tournament began without being tipped by many to go all of the way - just like when they won the 2021 T20 World Cup.

Their campaign hit serious jitters early on with defeats in their opening two games, first by India and then South Africa, but they have won the title with nine consecutive wins.

At the end, their players, including England's old foes David Warner and Steve Smith, charged onto the field in celebration.

Australia have won it all before but this ranks as one of their greatest nights.

Head's innings will take the headlines but this victory was built on a sensational performance with the ball and a brave decision to bowl first at the toss.

Captain Rohit Sharma gave India a rapid start with 47 from 31 balls but from 76-1 in the 10th over, Australia applied a stranglehold on India's star-studded batting line-up and did not let go.

Head played a crucial hand too, brilliantly catching Rohit as he ran back from cover, before Shreyas Iyer was caught behind off Cummins four balls later to leave the hosts 81-3.

That left Virat Kohli and KL Rahul to attempt a rebuild but the canny Australia bowlers, through a mix of short, slower balls and athletic fielding, kept the scoring to a crawl - all while captain Pat Cummins mixed his pack to great effect.

Kohli and Rahul put on 67 in 109 balls before the former captain played on to Cummins for 54 in the 29th over to leave the vast stadium stunned in silence. Rahul then nicked a beauty from Starc, ending any real hope of a significant India score.

After 12 boundaries were scored in the first 10 overs, only four followed in the next 40.

India's lower order had hardly been needed in this tournament and when needed, Ravindra Jadeja managed only nine and Suryakumar Yadav 18.

India's worst performance with the bat came at the worst time but huge credit must go to Cummins and his champion attack.