India in troubled waters, lose three wickets in 11 overs

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (Pic: AFP)

IND vs AUS ICC World Cup 2023 final: Indian skipper Rohit Sharma hit the highest gear with each delivery before thumping it over long on to give away his wicket during the IND vs AUS ICC World Cup 2023 final in Ahmedabad.

After Shubman Gill fell for just four, Sharma, who had already scored 550 runs in the tournament before this match, made an aggressive 47 off 31 balls before he was brilliantly caught by Travis Head, running back from cover point, off spinner Glenn Maxwell.

Star batsman Virat Kohli was then 23 not out, with India -- yet to lose in this tournament -- bidding for a third World Cup title and Australia a record-extending sixth crown.

Earlier, Australian veteran Mitchell Starc sparked a batting collapse as his early strike resulted in a caught-out dismissal by Zampa at mid-on.

The delivery, slightly short of a length, prompted Gill to execute his signature short-arm jab pull shot off the front foot. However, the ball didn't come on as expected, leading Gill to connect straighter than he intended. The ball instead landed in the safe hands of Zampa, altering the trajectory from mid-wicket.

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Starc's celebratory double-fist reaction echoed through the stadium as he clinched the crucial breakthrough, sending Gill back to the pavilion after scoring a meagre four runs from only seven deliveries.

Unbeaten hosts India have won 10 games in a row on their way to the finish of the tournament as they seek a third World Cup title to follow their stunning victory over the West Indies in a 1983 final at Lord's and a 2011 home triumph sealed with victory against Sri Lanka in Mumbai.

Kohli goes into the game as the tournament's leading batsman with 711 runs and having set a new record of 50 ODI hundreds in a 70-run semi-final win over New Zealand in Mumbai.