India vs Australia Prediction: Who will be crowned World Champions?

India and Australia are going head to head in the finals of the Cricket World Cup to be crowned the next World Champions at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India on 19 Nov 2023. The two teams are on impressive streaks at the moment with India winning all 10 games while Aussies winning 8 consecutive games in the World Cup. India has won 2 while the Kangaroos have five World Cups to their name. The last time they met in the WC finals was in 2003 when Australia beat India by 125 runs. Can India take the revenge? Who will win this game of cricket?

India has displayed dominance throughout the tournament, maintaining an undefeated record in the nine-match round-robin campaign and securing a convincing victory over New Zealand in the semi-final. However, as the title favorites and hosts, it is now imperative for India to emerge triumphant in the crucial stages of the competition.

The top run-scorers in the 2023 Cricket World Cup include three Indian players: former captain Virat Kohli, current captain Rohit Sharma, and batter Shreyas Iyer. Kohli has been particularly prolific, amassing 711 runs in 10 innings at an impressive average of 101.57, featuring three centuries.

India also boasts three of the top eight wicket-takers in the tournament. Fast bowler Mohammed Shami leads the charts with 23 wickets in six matches, highlighted by a remarkable seven-wicket haul in the semi-final against New Zealand. The combination of fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and spinner Ravindra Jadeja has contributed an additional 34 wickets.

In their previous encounter with Australia during the round-robin stage in early October, India secured a victory despite initial challenges. Notably, openers Ishan Kishan and Sharma faced early dismissals, and the absence of Shami in the XI was evident. Additionally, the team has lost all-rounder Hardik Pandya to injury, adding intrigue to this anticipated rematch.

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Jaspreet Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj

Australia bounced back from consecutive losses against India and South Africa with an impressive streak of seven consecutive victories, concluding the round-robin stage with high confidence. This momentum carried them into the semi-final, where they triumphed over South Africa, setting the stage for a crucial clash against the tournament hosts.

The run-scoring prowess of opener David Warner and Mitchell Marsh has been instrumental for Australia in this tournament. Warner has accumulated 528 runs in 10 innings, while Marsh has contributed 426 runs in nine. The return of Travis Head from injury has further strengthened Australia's batting lineup, allowing Marsh to assume the number three position in the order.

In terms of bowling, leg-spinner Adam Zampa has been Australia's leading wicket-taker in the competition with 22 wickets in 10 matches. Despite losing the top wicket-taker spot to Shami recently, Zampa's role remains crucial. However, he faced a challenging outing in the semi-final against South Africa, going wicketless and conceding runs.

As a wrist spinner, Zampa's expertise could play a significant role in managing the big-hitting Glenn Maxwell, who has shown vulnerability against left-arm wrist spin. Maxwell experienced dismissals to Kuldeep Yadav of India and, more recently, Tabraiz Shamsi of South Africa in the tournament.

David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis (WK), Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa

In the initial three matches of the 2023 Cricket World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the captain winning the toss chose to field first.

In the final, the captain winning the toss is likely to opt to bat second, as teams generally prefer chasing targets rather than setting them.

In Ahmedabad, this tournament, the captain winning the toss has emerged victorious 75 per cent of the time. The last four first-innings totals in ODI cricket at this venue have been 282, 191, 286, and 244. Ahmedabad is not as high-scoring as several other venues in this tournament, and a first-innings total of 270 could be deemed competitive.

Teams have been bowled out in four of the eight innings here during this competition. Afghanistan notably deployed five spinners against South Africa at this venue a week ago.

No rain is forecast in Ahmedabad on matchday, and there is no wet weather predicted for the days leading up to the match. Conditions will be dry and typical of the subcontinent. India enters the final having won 10 consecutive matches in this tournament, while Australia boasts eight consecutive victories. These two teams are fitting finalists. Beating India, especially in India, poses a significant challenge for Australia.

India is expected to win this final, given their formidable batting lineup and world-class spin options, which could pose challenges for an Australian batting order that has struggled at times against specialist slow bowling. While India is the favoured side, Australia has a history of performing well in World Cup finals.