Australia clinched their sixth ICC Cricket World Cup title after defeating India by six wickets in a thrilling final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, Nov. 19. Chasing a modest target of 241, Australia rode on a magnificent unbeaten century by Travis Head (137 off 120 balls) and a solid half-century by Marnus Labuschagne (58 off 110 balls) to reach the target with seven overs to spare.

The match was a fitting finale to a tournament that saw some high-quality cricket and close contests. India, who had won all their nine matches in the league stage, were the favorites to lift the trophy for the third time. However, they were undone by a disciplined bowling performance by Australia, who restricted them to 240 all out in 50 overs. Only KL Rahul (66 off 107 balls) and Virat Kohli (54 off 63 balls) offered some resistance, while the rest of the batsmen failed to cope with the pace and spin of the Australian attack. Mitchell Starc (3/55), Pat Cummins (2/34) and Adam Zampa (1/44) were the pick of the bowlers for Australia.

Australia, who had lost to India by six wickets in their league match, showed great composure and determination in the chase. They lost David Warner (7 off 3 balls) early, but Head and Labuschagne stitched together a match-winning partnership of 191 runs for the fourth wicket. Head was the aggressor, hitting 15 fours and four sixes, while Labuschagne played the anchor role, rotating the strike and finding the gaps. India tried hard to break the partnership, but none of their bowlers could make an impact. Jasprit Bumrah (2/43), Mohammed Shami (1/47) and Mohammed Siraj (1/45) were the only wicket-takers for India.

Head reached his maiden ODI hundred in style, hitting a six off Kuldeep Yadav in the 36th over. He then completed the chase with another six off Siraj in the 43rd over, sparking wild celebrations in the Australian camp. He was deservedly named the Player of the Match for his superb knock. Labuschagne, who had scored 552 runs in nine matches, was named the Player of the Tournament for his consistent performance.

Australia captain Steve Smith praised his team for their remarkable comeback after losing two matches in the league stage. He said that they had played their best cricket in the knockout stages and credited Head and Labuschagne for their outstanding partnership in the final. He also lauded his bowlers for restricting India to a below-par score and thanked the fans for their support.

India captain Virat Kohli congratulated Australia for their deserved victory and said that they were the better team on the day. He admitted that his team had failed to put up a competitive total and said that they had lost too many wickets in the middle overs. He also praised Rahul and Kohli for their fighting innings and said that his team had played some good cricket throughout the tournament. He thanked the fans for their love and encouragement.

The final was witnessed by a packed crowd of over 110,000 spectators, who cheered for both the teams. The match was also watched by millions of fans across the world on various platforms. The tournament, which featured 10 teams and 48 matches, was hailed as a success by the ICC and the host nation, India. The next edition of the World Cup will be held in 2027, with the host country yet to be decided.