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When Australia face India in the 2023 ICC World Cup final on Sunday (19 November), they will not only be fighting toe to toe with the eleven Indian players, but will also be dealing with over 100,000 Indian fans, who will pack Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium to the brim. For their skipper Pat Cummins, however, it works as an additional motivation, as his team are aiming to silence the gigantic crowd.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the match, Cummins revealed his feelings about battling against India with a partisan crowd wishing to see Australia crumble, stating he is looking forward to ‘embracing’ it.
(Photo: PTI/Altered by The Quint)
The pacer further elaborated on how Australia have different personalities to deal with the crowd in contrasting ways, with David Warner – a crowd-favourite in India – often showcasing his dance skills, while others opting to concentrate on the cricket.
Albeit history will be inclined towards Australia, for the five-time champions have bragging rights in this particular competition, India will be starting the match as favourites owing to their scintillating form. On being asked about which Indian cricketer is likely to pose a major threat to the Aussies, Cummins mentioned the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, Mohammed Shami’s name.
“They have got five guys that bowl ten overs in pretty much every match. Their spinners have done well through the middle overs – Kuldeep and Jadeja – so they're going to be a tough proposition like they always are,” he further added.
India’s semi-final triumph over New Zealand was shrouded in controversy, owing to a last-minute pitch alteration requested by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Cummins, however, chose not to pay any heed to conspiracy theories about the pitch, stating the surface would be the same for both teams.
Three of the four league stage matches at the Narendra Modi Stadium were won by chasing teams, with dew often offering the batters assistance during the evening.
Explaining whether his team will be wary of the dew factor, Cummins opined “The biggest difference (in playing conditions) is the dew. This city and venue seems to have more dew than a lot of the other places we play. That's something to think about ahead of tomorrow. It might only come at the last quarter of the game, but once the dew settles in and the ball is sliding on, it's quite different from the first 20 overs, where the ball might be swinging. It is something to consider.”
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