David Beckham meets India cricket star Virat Kohli ahead of World Cup semi-final
India take on Australia in the 2023 Cricket World Cup final on Sunday, in a bid to win their first major ICC global event since 2011.
Australia have historically enjoyed the most success in the tournament, and Pat Cummins’ men have reached the nations’ eighth ODI World Cup final with a hard-fought win over South Africa.
India however go into the match as firm favourites having blown away all competition throughout the tournament, they went through the nine group matches unbeaten and then in the semi-finals eased past against New Zealand, with an impressive performance with both bat and ball.
The stage is set, and it will be a major one, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad can hold 132,000, almost all of whom will be cheering for India, which could weigh heavily on their shoulders, although they have not shown any indication of being burdened by the weight of a nation throughout the tournament so far.
Rohit Sharma and his team have a chance to write themselves into the history books, but first they will have to overcome an in-form Australia who have shown grit and determination since they lost to India in the group stages, including a memorable Glenn Maxwell-inspired victory over Afghanistan.
Follow all the live action below and get the latest odds and tips here.
India 165-4 (33) KL Rahul 47, Jadeja 6, Starc 1-35 (6)
Mitchell Starc is back into the attack, will the ball reverse already?
The run rate is just diminishing slightly, and despite the explosive start is just over five an over.
KL Rahul is closing in on his half century, but he might have to score a lot more than that to give India a solid total.
Sonia Twigg19 November 2023 10:59
India 162-4 (32) KL Rahul 45, Jadeja 5, Zampa 0-29 (7)
Zampa will continue, it is all looking quite straightforward for Australia at the moment. But India still have wickets in hand and enough firepower to attack in the final 10 overs.
Just four runs from the over.
Sonia Twigg19 November 2023 10:52
India 158-4 (31) KL Rahul 43, Jadeja 3, Cummins 2-23 (7)
Cummins will bowl his seventh here, he already has the key wicket of Virat Kohli, but Australia will want to turn the screw here.
A two off the first ball but after that it’s kept tight and India have added just four runs to the total from the over.
Sonia Twigg19 November 2023 10:48
India 152-4 (30) KL Rauhl 39, Jadeja 1, Zampa 0-25 (6)
After that key over Australia turn to Zampa. There’s an umpire review for stumping against Jadeja who has only just come to the crease but his back foot did not move.
Sonia Twigg19 November 2023 10:45
India 149-4 (29) KL Rahul 37, Jadeja 0, Cummins 2-17 (6)
Cummins has taken key wickets in this match, his bowling throughout the tournament has not been the best in the early period, despite being good at the death, but he has the key wicket here and Kohli has to depart.
He had looked unflappable until just miss-timing that delivery and Jadeja has come out to join KL Rahul at the crease.
The crowd has just gone quiet.
Sonia Twigg19 November 2023 10:39
Wicket! Kohli out for 54! b Cummins India 148-4
Cummins will bowl his 6th over here, the first two balls are tapped away for singles.
Cummins strikes! Virat Kohli has played onto his stumps!
It was banged into the surface and just got up on him a bit and all he could do was edge it onto the stumps, Cummins wheels away in celebration and that is a crucial breakthrough.
Sonia Twigg19 November 2023 10:35
India 146-3 (28) Kohli 53, KL Rahul 36, Zampa 0-22 (5)
Zampa is into his fifth over here. KL Rahul gets an early single to bring Kohli on strike.
He taps it into the leg side for an easy single. The scoreboard has not stopped ticking along and the dot balls have not been allowed to build up, but it has not been enthralling batting, although it has been exactly what the situation called for.
Four singles from the over.
Sonia Twigg19 November 2023 10:32
India 142-3 (27) Kohli 51, KL Rahul 34, Maxwell 1-34 (5)
Maxwell comes back on and KL Rahul has hit this one away to the boundary! It had taken 97 balls, but KL Rahul employed the paddle to score a four fine past the keeper.
With that boundary it was a more prolific over though, seven runs from it.
Sonia Twigg19 November 2023 10:30
India 135-3 (26) Kohli 50, KL Rahul 28, Zampa 0-18 (4)
David Warner has put in a stunning dive to prevent the first boundary for a long time, he was full stretch and just got a hand to it.
Just four runs from the over.
Sonia Twigg19 November 2023 10:26
Virat Kohli 50! India 132-3
Zampa is back on, nine different bowlers have been used recently, and Kohli has brought up his half century with a single from the first ball.
It came from 56 balls, and he had to weather the storm a bit after the three early wickets.
Sonia Twigg19 November 2023 10:24
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