In Ahmedabad, India, the Australia captain, Pat Cummins, was seen entering the press conference room fiddling with his phone. He admitted that the plan for the World Cup final against India was to silence the big, partisan crowd.
Australia will not only have to face India’s formidable batting lineup and fiery bowling attack but also the boisterous Indian fans, who will be cheering on the Indian team on Sunday at the 130,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium. India’s unbeaten record in the tournament further adds to the challenge for Australia.
Cummins emphasized that the best way to overcome such a challenge is to embrace it. He mentioned that there is nothing more satisfying in sport than hearing a big crowd go silent, and that is the aim for Australia in the final.
Despite being comprehensively beaten by India in their opener, Australia managed to string together eight consecutive wins to reach the final. Cummins acknowledged that the crowd will be one-sided but expressed his excitement for the atmosphere and the opportunity to challenge India at their best.
The outcome of the match will depend heavily on Australia’s new ball pair of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood and how they fare against India’s top order. Cummins emphasized the importance of their experience in ICC events and their impact on the game.
Australia’s captain also felt that his team had not yet played a “complete game” in the tournament but expressed confidence in their ability to find a way to win, even without being at their absolute best.
Overall, Cummins appeared optimistic about Australia’s chances in the final and was looking forward to the challenge of facing a strong Indian team in front of a partisan crowd.
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in Ahmedabad; editing by Kim Coghill)
