5 Lowest Totals Defended In Cricket World Cup Finals

On Sunday, November 19, India and Australia met in the 2023 cricket World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujrat. The Aussie skipper, Pat Cummins, won the toss and elected to bowl first. It was a bold decision from Cummins, as teams batting first had won the ODI World Cup seven times over the years, as opposed to five bowling first.

Playing in their backyard, undefeated India started as favorites, but Australians had a clear game plan. They used the dryness of the pitch to great effect, set the field accordingly, and bowled uncomfortable lines to the Men in Blue. The hosts, who had won 10 games on the trot leading up to the final, succumbed to the pressure, with none of their top-tier batsmen scoring at a rate fitting for ODI cricket. Led by gritty knocks from Virat Kohli (54 off 63) and KL Rahul (66 off 107), India put up 240 in 50 overs.

Australia had some wobbles at the start, with David Warner, Mitchel Marsh, and Steve Smith returning to the pavilion in quick succession. However, batters Travis Head (137 off 120) and Marnus Labuschagne (58* off 110) took a stand and propelled the Kangaroos to glory. Glen Maxwell scored the winning runs in the only ball he faced after Head’s dismissal in the 42nd over.

Defending a slim target of 240 was always going to be tricky for India, but it probably was not an impossible one. Here are the five lowest totals defended in cricket World Cup finals:

#5 West Indies (1975) – 291 Runs

West Indies Skipper Clive Lloyd Accepting The Man Of The Match Award As Well As The World Cup

In the inaugural edition of the Cricket World Cup in England, West Indies and Australia made their way to the final. The Windies batted first and took the scoreboard to 291/8 in 60 overs, courtesy of a sensational 102 of just 85 balls from skipper Clive Lloyd.

Australia made a strong start and looked on course for victory, only for Keith Boyce to spoil the party. The all-rounder, who also made a handsome 34 off 37…

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Author : Sushan Chakraborty

Publish date : 2023-11-20 06:07:04

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