Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has predicted that the hosts would win their third ODI World Cup championship against Australia in Ahmedabad on Sunday, November 19.
Team India boasts a perfect winning streak so far, clocking in ten victories. They’re aiming to join the exclusive club of West Indies and Australia, both undefeated in an ODI World Cup. In contrast, Australia has made a terrific comeback. After suffering initial defeats in their first two matches, they’ve pulled off an eight-win streak. Now, they’ve qualified for an unprecedented eighth final.
Harbhajan Singh told India Today that the Australians rely on individual brilliance, but Team India has been a more cohesive force.
“Individual brilliance can probably win you a game or two. But when you want to win a cup, you have to perform like Team India. All the batters are in form. All the bowlers are in form. And more than that, they look happy. A happy unit is a winning unit. So, I believe that India is a superior team going into the final.”
Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh proceeded along the same lines, underlining that the Aussies had won thus far via individual brilliance.
“Australians have come through individual brilliance, and that’s how they have won games. They have not played well as a team. You know, normally Australians play as a unit like India is playing. So that is where India has the advantage, because they are playing as a unit.”
Harbhajan Singh
India and the other team faced off in the first game of the tournament. India won by securing six wickets more than their opponents. This wasn’t a high-scoring game. It happened in Chennai.
While India is aiming for their third ODI World Cup, the Men in Yellow are aiming for a record sixth trophy.
India Faced Australia in the 2003 World Cup Final
Indian supporters will wish to forget the previous time India met Australia in a World Cup final, when Australia won by 125 runs in Johannesburg in 2003.
Following their victory in 1999, Australia entered the final against India undefeated in 2003. They were assigned to bat first in the summit battle and amassed a massive 359/2 in 50 overs.
The 140-run show by leader Ricky Ponting helped Australia crush India’s hopes with their hitting skills. Though Virender Sehwag tried to fight back with 82 runs, India could only score 234 & got out in less than 40 overs.
This marked Australia’s second World Cup win in a row, later clinching the trophy again in 2007.
Out of the 13 one-day matches in the World Cup between Australia and India, the team with five world championships, Australia, has claimed victory eight times.