India vs Australia, World Cup final in 2003 vs 2023: Can India change the course of history in the final?

India vs Australia, World Cup final in 2003 vs 2023: The stage is set for the final of the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023, as the two titans of the cricketing world—India and Australia—will be locking horns against each other on Sunday, November 19, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. 

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Two decades later, these two behemoths will meet again in the ODI World Cup final. It was 2003 at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, when these two last met. For Australia, it was an epiphany of joy as they won their third ODI World Cup title, and that too without losing a single game on the trot. Whereas, for India, it was a memory that still haunts them to this day.

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But this time, India will look to take revenge for the agony of the 2003 loss, whose wounds are still fresh. 

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India has been the most formidable side in this World Cup, winning all the games they have played so far. After losing their first two matches, many wrote off Australia. However, the Australian mindset wasn't that weak, as they bounced back, winning all seven of their last seven games and defeating South Africa in the semis to book their spot for the eighth time in the World Cup final.

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India vs Australia, World Cup Final, 2003: A look back

After winning the toss, India decided to bowl first, which proved to be a costly error as Australia set a target of 360 runs in 50 overs. Along with Damien Martyn, who hit 88 runs in 84 balls, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting produced an outstanding performance of 140 runs in 121 balls. Ponting's historic innings gave rise to the myth that he had a spring in his bat.

With Virender Sehwag getting 82 runs off 81 deliveries and Rahul Dravid scoring 47 runs off 57 balls, India put up a brave fight. However, India was bowled out for 234 runs due to the other batsmen's lack of support. With two wickets apiece, Brett Lee and Andrew Symonds helped Australia win the World Cup for the third time.

India vs Australia, World Cup Final, 2023: Looking Forward

Going into the finals, Inida is the clear favourite. They have won every single match on a trot, and that too with some of the dominating performances. Their top order, consisting of skipper Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli, has been giving them a great start, and down the order, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul have given them much-needed support, whether it is for setting a target or chasing a total. The bowling department has proven to be a nightmare for the opposing batters. The pacer trio of Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj have been brilliant with the new ball, giving early breakthroughs and putting the opposition on the back foot. In the middle order, their spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav has kept the scoreboard in check, not letting the opposition open up, and even if they manage to open up, they are drawn back by some brilliant bowling changes made by Sharma. In short, everything has been going India's way; they just need to keep their nerves in check as the pressure of winning an ICC trophy has haunted them since their last win in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.

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For Australia, they are the chip of the old block. They know what it takes to win a final. However, their middle order hasn't shown any consistency, even in the semi-finals. Some brilliant individual performances have carried the whole team in the tournament. To their relief, pacers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc have some grit in their semi-final clash against South Africa, which can cause problems for the Indian side. Along with part-time spinners Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell, who also kept the middle orders in check and got breakthroughs for them from time to time, Australia do have some great tricks up their sleeves. Not to mention their experience playing in the finals of the ODI World Cup, as this is their eighth final in 13 editions of the tournament. 

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