India and Australia are scheduled to face each other in the ODI (One Day International) World Cup 2023 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad. The largest cricket stadium in the world which is now popular as Narendra Modi Stadium was once known as Sardar Patel Stadium. It was also called Motera Stadium and Gujarat Stadium previously.
The stadium’s construction was finished for the first time in 1982. The first ever one-day international match was held on this field in 1984, just two years after it was built and the crucial encounter took place between India and Australia. It was a 92-over match and each team batted for 46 overs respectively.
The Indian side had won the 1983 Cricket World Cup and was considered the favourite. Their spirits were high and had the advantage of the home ground as well as the support of a large Indian crowd, however, the Australians proved everyone wrong by securing a thumping victory in the match.
The Australian side was led by Kim Hughes, while Gavaskar headed Team India. The former had won the toss and invited India to bat first, but the decision taken by their captain didn’t fare well as the Indian opening pair put on a century partnership for the first wicket. Ravi Shastri and Roger Binny shared a strong partnership of 104 runs before the latter fell prey to Tom Hogan and returned to the pavilion after scoring 57 runs. After that first wicket, the Indian side just collapsed like a pack of cards.
Ravi Shastri also made his way back after scoring 45 runs after which Dilip Vengsarkar had to make the long walk back to the pavillion after scoring 14. Sandeep Patil and Suni Gavaskar scored in single digits of 3 and 4 runs respectively. India had lost five wickets on 145 runs. Kapil Dev was batting fast at one end but he also got out after scoring 28 runs. The Indians were six down at 161 runs. However, Kirti Azad then hit 39 runs and Madanlal added 6 more to share an unbeaten partnership of 45 runs to take their team to a respectable total of 206 runs at the loss of six wickets.
The Australian team responded with an equally impressive start. Graeme Wood was run out at the score of 32 after amassing 67 runs for the first wicket. His batting partner Kepler Wessels made 42 runs before making his route back to the pavilion on a total of 89. Allan Border then took charge and solidified his team’s position with a partnership of 73 runs with Kim Hughes who scored 29 runs.
Afterwards, he teamed up with Graham Yallop who put on 32 runs on the scoreboard and guided their team to a phenomenal victory. Allan Border played an unbeaten innings of 62 runs off 90 balls and the Australian team won by 7 wickets in the 44th over. Geoff Lawson who took three wickets for 25 runs was declared as the ‘player of the match.’
India would now want to rectify the history and triumph on the same pitch when they clash with Australia in the World Cup final on 19 November. India has played exceptionally well in the World Cup, winning every game in the group stage and putting an impressive all-round display to register an emphatic 70 runs victory against New Zealand in the first semi-final on 15 November. Despite some difficult times in the tournament, Australia made it to the second semi-final and defeated South Africa on 16 November by a margin of three wickets.
India and Australia had last clashed in the final of a World Cup back in 2003. The latter captured the World Cup trophy for the third time after winning that match by a margin of 125 runs. It also went on to win the following edition in 2007. India is aiming for its third World Cup title at the Narendra Modi Stadium. It last claimed the championship in 2011 after defeating Sri Lanka in the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Team India won their first World Cup in 1983 under the captaincy of Kapil Dev.
India has not won an International Cricket Council (ICC) trophy since 2013 when the MS Dhoni-led Indian side lifted the Champions Trophy. The wait of a decade of 1.4 billion people would hopefully be over and India would emerge victorious in the final and lift the trophy to end the championship on a glorious note.
