2023 Cricket World Cup Final: Australia Win ‘One Of Most Incredible’, Says Michael Vaughan

According to Michael Vaughan, the current Australia team is worthy of comparison to the famous sides of the 1990s and early 2000s after “the most incredible World Cup victory.”

Pat Cummins’ team upset hosts India to win the men’s 50-over World Cup in Ahmedabad, adding to their trophy collection in recent years.

Before winning the World Cup, Australia won the World Test Championship and retained the Ashes in 2023, and they also won the T20 World Cup in 2021.

As a result, Vaughan believes this set of players is “moving away from that shadow” cast by the great teams headed by Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting, who won three World Cups in a row from 1999 to 2007.

“This is one of the truly great World Cup victories,” remarked the former England captain on BBC Test Match Special.

“When you look at this group of players, you always get the impression that they are living in the shadow of that great team from the 1990s and early 2000s.” They won three World Cups in a row and pretty much everything else.

“However, if you look at what this group of players has done in the last few years, they won the World Cup in Australia in 2015, retained two Ashes in the UK but hammered England in Australia, won a T20 World Cup, are world Test champions, and now they’re World Cup winners in India.”

“This group now needs to be talked about in a similar vein.”

Australia defeated an Indian team that had won their previous ten World Cup games on home turf.

The vast majority of the 92,453-strong crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium backed India going into the final, but a superb century from Travis Head ensured the now six-time champions cruised to victory with seven overs to spare.

“To win a World Cup in India, against this India side, against this crowd, everything about the whole operation of this World Cup has been about India – the force that they are,” he said.

“Australia completely silenced that on this day in front of so many people, on a pitch that is much more suited to the home team than to an Australian side.”

“The most incredible World Cup victory I’ve seen, against all odds.”

‘At the top of the mountain,’
After Australia lost their first two games of the competition, few would have expected that Cummins would wind up collecting the Cup.

However, they went on to win nine consecutive games, extending Australia’s extraordinary record in this competition.

“You have to win a World Cup.” “You can’t just sit back and wait for it to happen,” Cummins explained.

Australia Win ‘One Of Most Incredible’, Says Michael Vaughan

“At times, you have to be brave and take on the game, and there was a real shift after those first two games.” The openers were aggressive, and they did not relent after that. The gang was completely on board.”

Head was instrumental in this, having missed the first five games of the World Cup after breaking his left hand in a one-day international against South Africa in September.

The left-hander scored a century in his first game back, a half-century in the semi-final, and was voted player of the match after another spectacular ton in the final.

“Travis [Head] just did what he does,” added Cummins. “He was very brave in taking on the game and putting the pressure back on.”

“Doing it on the biggest stage demonstrates a lot of character.”

“It was incredible. The unsung heroes, the selectors who backed him up, and the medical team who got him back. We took a significant risk, but it paid off. Trav is a legend, and I couldn’t be happier for him. “How entertaining is he to watch?”

Cummins considered victory in India as the finest after winning the World Test Championship and the Ashes in the previous six months.

“It has been crazy,” he stated. “This is a year we’ll remember for a long time.”

“It’s been incredible, and we’ve spent the entire Australian winter away playing, and we’ve had a lot of success, but this tops it all.” It’s the peak of the mountain.”

SOURCE – (AP)