Mitchell Starc predicts ‘spectacle of cricket’ in World Cup final against India

KOLKATA – Australia’s Mitchell Starc believes that the World Cup final against India on Nov 19 at Ahmedabad’s 132,000-capacity stadium will be loud and a “spectacle of cricket”.

Five-time champions Australia edged out South Africa by three wickets in a tense chase in Kolkata on Nov 16 to make their eighth World Cup final.

“It’s a big occasion, because it’s a World Cup final,” said Starc, who returned figures of 3-34 to help bowl out the South Africans for 212.

“Guys in both changing rooms have been there before at different formats. Both teams played each other in the (World Test Championship) final earlier in the year. I don’t think either changing room is new to big occasions.

“It’s going to be loud. No doubt there’s going to be different amounts of pressure at different times on both teams. I think it’s just going to be a great spectacle of cricket.”

Rohit Sharma’s India have a perfect record of 10 wins from 10 games at this World Cup after seeing off New Zealand by 70 runs in the first semi-final on Nov 15.

They are firm favourites to lift the trophy for a third time and second at home after 2011.

“They’ve been the best in the tournament so far and we both find ourselves in the final,” added Starc of the match-up.

“That’s what World Cups are about. We played them in our first game of the tournament, now we get to take them on in the last. What a place to be at the end of a World Cup.”

Australia started the tournament with losses to India and then South Africa before they won seven straight matches to storm into the final four.

Against India, they lost by six wickets in Chennai after being bowled out for 199, and then slumped to a 134-run defeat by the Proteas in Lucknow.

The Australians last won the World Cup in 2015 but kept adding to their trophy cabinet after they clinched the T20 World Cup in 2021.

They were crowned Test champions in June when they defeated India by 209 runs at The Oval.

Australian batsmen had a tough day in the semi-finals after they slipped to 137-5 following a 62 by Travis Head, whose departure triggered a collapse as South African spinners Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi attempted to take control.

But Steve Smith (30), Josh Linglis (28), Starc (16 not out) and Pat Cummins (14 not out) guided the team home with 16 balls to spare.

On Nov 19, Indian spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja will be a threat to the Australian batsmen in Ahmedabad.

“I guess we’ll find out when we get to Ahmedabad tomorrow and see if it’s a fresh wicket or an old wicket,” Starc said tongue-in-cheek after reports accused India of switching pitches for their semi-final win over New Zealand in Mumbai on Nov 15.

Despite the anticipation ahead of the final after six weeks of action, not everybody is excited.

“To be honest, there’s about a 1 per cent chance I’ll be watching. And to be even more brutally honest, I actually don’t care,” said South Africa coach Rob Walter.

He added that he was “proud” of Temba Bavuma despite his injured captain being unable to break the country’s World Cup jinx – they had lost in the semis for the fifth time to add to similar disappointments in 1992, 1999, 2007 and 2015.

“I just told him how proud I am of him,” Walter said of Bavuma.

“He marshalled the troops this evening unbelievably well. He was the lead man that got us into this tournament in the first place. I think people forget that so I just wanted to make sure that he was aware of how important he is in this team and how proud I am of his efforts and the way he led throughout the tournament.” AFP, REUTERS