India and Australia square off in the summit clash of the ODI World Cup 2023 on Sunday, November 19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
It has been a dream-like campaign for India without any blemish whatsoever. They have won all ten matches they have played in the showpiece event but will know that only a win in the all-important final will make their legacy immortal.
India made a couple of changes in their league game against New Zealand and have persisted with the same team for the next five games. It can be said with a lot of conviction that India won’t make a change to their playing XI for the finals, barring any last-minute niggles.
Here’s India’s predicted XI against Australia:
Openers: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill
Rohit Sharma (Photo Source: Twitter)
The Indian captain Rohit Sharma has led from the front. He has given India some brisk starts inside the powerplay and put the opposition bowlers to the sword. The 36-year-old has scored 550 runs in 10 games at an average of 55. While his average is quite impressive, what stands out is his strike rate of 124.15. Indian fans would love to see another whirlwind start from their aggressive skipper.
Shubman Gill might not have added to the six ODI centuries he had before coming into the tournament but he has contributed nicely, scoring 350 runs in eight games at an average of 50 and a strike rate of 108.02. The Punjab batter loves playing at the Narendra Modi Stadium and the elusive World Cup century might as well come at the colossal venue.
Middle Order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Suryakumar Yadav
Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
Virat Kohli has been in scintillating form in the tournament. He broke a couple of records of his idol Sachin Tendulkar in the semi-finals against New Zealand. Kohli went past Tendulkar’s tally of 49 ODI centuries and also became the first player to score 700 runs in a single edition of a World Cup. The Delhi batter has amassed 711 runs in ten matches at a mind-boggling average of 101.57 and a strike rate of 90.69. He has registered five fifties and three centuries, showcasing consistency that can only be associated with a champion player like him.
Shreyas Iyer is another player who is in red-hot form. He scored a century in India’s last league game against the Netherlands and followed it up with another ton against New Zealand. The 28-year-old has scored 526 runs in 10 games at an average of 75.14 and a strike rate of 113.12. He is one of the better players of spin in world cricket at present and his duel with Adam Zampa in the middle overs could be a key encounter in the contest.
KL Rahul has been excellent, not only with the bat but also behind the stumps. The Karnataka cricketer has scored 386 runs in nine innings at an average of 77.20 and a strike rate of 98.72 and has also taken some spectacular catches. Rohit also relies on his wicketkeeper-batter while going for referrals.
Suryakumar Yadav came into the side after Hardik Pandya was ruled out of the tournament due to injury. He hasn’t had much of a hit but his 49 against England was a crucial knock on a difficult Lucknow pitch. Suryakumar will always be a player to watch out for because, on his day, he can change the course of the match in quick time.
Check Here: Most Runs in ODI World Cup 2023
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra-Jadeja. (Photo Source: Twitter)
The veteran all-rounder has been a livewire on the field and also contributed nicely with the ball. In ten matches, he has bagged 16 wickets at an average of 22.19. He has batted four times only but has an average of 55.50 and a strike rate of 115.62.
Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Siraj
Mohammed Shami. (Photo SourceL: X(Twitter)
Mohammed Shami has been the bowler of the tournament by a distance. Having only played six games, the 33-year-old has remarkably reached the top of the list for highest wicket-takers. Shami has taken 23 wickets at an average of just 9.13 and a strike rate of 10.91.
Jasprit Bumrah has been ever-consistent. In ten matches, he has picked up 18 wickets at an average of 18.33 and a strike rate of 27.61. His economy rate is just 3.98 and it shows how difficult it has been for batters to put him away.
Kuldeep Yadav has picked up crucial wickets in the middle overs. In ten games, he has bagged 15 wickets at 24.53. The 28-year-old loves bowling against the Aussies and he also has a hat-trick against the ‘Men in Yellow’. His battle against the in-form Glenn Maxwell would be intriguing to watch.
Mohammed Siraj has blown hot and cold in the tournament. Known for his ability to swing the new ball, Siraj’s performances in the powerplay haven’t been anywhere near his best. In ten matches, Siraj has picked up 13 wickets at 32.62. The 29-year-old single-handedly dismantled Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final and he would hope for a similar performance against a much stronger batting unit.
Check: Most Wickets in Cricket World Cup 2023
India’s predicted XI:
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav