Advance Australia, inevitably

 

Australia proudly emerges as the 2023 World Cup champions!

That's the essence of it, to be completely frank. When future inquiries arise about how Australia secured the ODI World Cup in 2023, or any subsequent World Cup, the straightforward response is: Australia won because they are Australia.

Explanation

While it might seem like a simplistic explanation, it does encapsulate the core truth. However, if you're seeking a more in-depth analysis, an examination of the hows and whys, we can certainly delve into that. Just be forewarned, you've likely encountered variations of this narrative before—different characters, altered scenarios, and circumstances. Yet, the fundamental storyline remains: Australia.

World Cups

In an unusual turn of events, they found themselves as clear underdogs, a rarity in a modern World Cup final. Their opponent had dominated the tournament much like Australia had in two World Cups earlier in this century. The setting was the opponent's home ground, with over 90,000 fans, almost all in favor of the home team. The conditions were tailored to their strengths, and yet, Australia triumphed in an environment seemingly designed to neutralize Australian prowess—a slow pitch with minimal bounce, favoring turn.

Especially noteworthy is their trio of fast bowlers:

Especially noteworthy is their trio of fast bowlers: Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc. These players stand as all-time greats, having secured victories in an ODI World Cup, a T20 World Cup, a World Test Championship, and holding the Ashes even before stepping onto the field for this particular match.

Being Australian fast bowlers

Being Australian fast bowlers, a category rarely surpassed, they were well-positioned to decipher the intricacies of the pitch. They strategically eliminated width, adjusted lengths, frequently reduced pace, incorporated cutters, and explored reverse swing. In essence, they opted for less conventional and glamorous methods, embracing a somewhat unattractive style of bowling. Despite not always providing riveting visuals, their approach limited a batting order that had previously scored 397, 410, 326, and 357 runs in their last four games to a mere four boundaries after the first powerplay. This achievement is so remarkable that it warrants repetition: Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja managed only four boundaries post the powerplay.

Captain Cummins confronted Kohli

Captain Cummins confronted Kohli, the tournament's highest run-scorer and biggest star, on the grandest stage and successfully dismissed him. Cummins, relatively inexperienced as a captain with just four ODIs under his belt before the tournament, and having a subdued performance in the bowling department until now, rose to the occasion.

How did they manage to remove Rohit Sharma

How did they manage to remove Rohit Sharma, India's most impactful batter throughout the tournament and their influential captain, amidst his relentless onslaught in the powerplay? The answer lies in a familiar narrative. As the ball ascended, evoking memories of Mitchell Marsh dropping Kohli's catch weeks earlier, Travis Head's sprint backwards began. Yet, this time, as the ball descended in Ahmedabad and Head executed a dive, it was evident to everyone that there was no way he would let it slip. Not in a final. Not against Rohit. Not when it mattered the most.

Tournament

They initiated the tournament with fielding that appeared as if catching a cold was more likely, concluding with one of the standout catches of the event. Their identity shifted to being a fielding force, outshining their batting and bowling prowess. Noteworthy was David Warner's dynamic performance, exhibiting a level of agility reminiscent of chasing a lost youth.

Facing Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami in the powerplay

Facing Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami in the powerplay, who collectively secured 44 wickets in the tournament with an impressive average of 14.32 and conceding less than 4.5 runs per over, Australia confronted swing, pace, and an electrifying atmosphere under lights. Despite losing a wicket, they remarkably amassed a sixth of the target by the fourth over, showcasing an aggressive approach that, at times, bordered on recklessness. Yet, they navigated through challenges, reaching a quarter of the target by the conclusion of the first powerplay.

In moments of reflection

In moments of reflection, Australia might find amusement in the fact that teams like England and India have undergone significant cultural shifts in their cricket approaches to adopt a style similar to Australia's innate playing style. England has even institutionalized this approach in county cricket and Test matches. Contrary to these transformations, Australia has remained true to their natural style of play, ingrained in their DNA. Travis Head's innings, reminiscent of Ponting, Hayden, and Gilchrist, epitomized the Australian ethos of relentless attack ingrained in their cricketing genes.

Head's presence in the team

Head's presence in the team itself was a testament to Australia's bold decision, taking a considerable gamble on him despite a broken hand—Cummins clarified later that it wasn't just a finger but the entire hand. Head defied the odds, winning three Player-of-the-Match awards, including the semi-final and final. While the exact details may not have unfolded in this manner before, the scenario of an Australian player defying expectations is so believable that you may have jokingly envisioned a similar plotline in the past.

Marnus Labuschagne provided

Marnus Labuschagne provided consistent support to Head throughout the match and remained at the crease until the end. This is the same Marnus Labuschagne who, just two months ago, expressed the belief that he didn't deserve a spot in Australia's World Cup squad. His journey began with filling in during a pre-tournament series due to injuries, scoring an unbeaten 80 to secure a victory. Subsequently, another player's injury opened the door for him to join the World Cup squad. Despite maintaining his initial self-assessment, Labuschagne played in all of Australia's games, never negating his own evaluation. However, when faced with a tailor-made batting situation in the final, he demonstrated composure and did not falter.

India fielded

India fielded their most formidable ODI team ever in Ahmedabad. This scenario mirrored instances where other cricketing nations, like Pakistan in 1999, Sri Lanka in 2007, and New Zealand in 2015, threw their best-ever ODI sides at Australia in World Cup finals. The recurring question arises: What happens when a team throws their greatest side at Australia in a World Cup final? And does it ever end up being a close contest?

Anticipating the final

Anticipating the final, I sought a German word that aptly captures Australia's consistent presence in World Cup finals, irrespective of the state, style, quality of players, form, or their journey to the final. With some assistance, I found a term applied to Bayern Munich's dominance in the German Bundesliga. Surprisingly concise, it directly translates to one word in English: "unvermeidlich." The meaning? Inevitable.