Australia cruised into the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 final after knocking out South Africa in the second semi-final on Thursday in Kolkata. The five-time world champions successfully chased down the 213-run target with 16 balls to spare and three wickets in hand. They are set to face hosts India in the grand finale of the tournament on Sunday in Ahmedabad. But before the mouth-watering encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh’s old statement has taken the internet by storm.
Marsh, who plays for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, had predicted the results of the World Cup final during a podcast with the franchise. He had said Australia will lift the trophy for the record 6th time by thrashing India by a huge margin.
“Australia undefeated; defeating India. Australia 450/2 in the final, India all-out 65," Marsh had said in the podcast when asked about his predictions for the final.
Marsh guessed the result and the score line back in May, during the IPL 2023. However, the ongoing tournament has witnessed the complete opposite of what the all-rounder had said.
Heading into the final with a perfect 10 wins, India have been the team to beat in the World Cup, and Australia are relishing the challenge of crossing swords with the formidable home side.
“We want to take on the best," Mitchell Starc asserted after defeating South Africa by 3 wickets in the semi-final in Kolkata on Thursday.
“They’ve been the best in the tournament so far and we both find ourselves in the finals. So that’s what World Cups are about. It’s why we play the game. We certainly come up against a team that have obviously led from the front through the tournament and they’re undefeated," Starc said.
Both teams had crossed swords in their opening fixture of the tournament in what turned out to be a one-sided affair with India winning by six wickets after bowling them out for a paltry 199 in Chennai.
“We played them in the first game of the tournament, now we get to take them on in the last. So yeah, what a place to be at the end of a World Cup," he added.
(With Agency Inputs)
Comments
0 comment