3 Australian players who could take the game away from India in the 2023 World Cup Final
Riding an eight-match winning streak, Australia will face off against India in the 2023 World Cup Final in Ahmedabad on Sunday, November 19.
The Men in Blue have been exceptional in the tournament so far, but they will be wary of the threat posed by the Aussies. The likes of Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head are more than capable of winning games single-handedly with the bat, while Mitchell Starc, even in the middling form he's in, is always dangerous.
India will also do well not to overlook the other names in the Australian lineup, who might not be as flashy but still manage to get the job done. Based on recent results and general trends, these three names will be ones to watch out for in the all-important summit clash as they look to upset the unbeaten hosts.
Here are three Australian players who could take the game away from India in the 2023 World Cup Final.
#3 Josh Hazlewood
Out of a possible 100, Josh Hazlewood has bowled only 83.1 overs in the 2023 World Cup. Despite being underused by captain Pat Cummins, he has easily been the best of Australia's pace-bowling trio.
Only Adam Zampa has taken more wickets than Hazlewood, who has 14 to his name at an economy rate of 4.67. The pacer has created pressure consistently at one end and brought the best out of his teammates with his role in the side.
Hazlewood's spell against South Africa in the semifinal was scarily good. It was the exact kind of spell that Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill won't want to face, and one that troubled India in the group-stage meeting between the two sides.
Hazlewood also has an excellent head-to-head record against Virat Kohli and was unlucky not to dismiss the superstar batter earlier in the tournament. If he hits the right areas, and he generally does, the hosts might not be able to recover like they did in Chennai.
#2 David Warner
One of the most recognizable players in world cricket, David Warner isn't exactly an underrated player. But ahead of the 2023 World Cup Final, the southpaw hasn't been in the headlines as much as he usually is.
With Head and Maxwell stealing the show with their pyrotechnics, Warner has flown under the radar slightly despite being his team's top scorer. He has three scores below 30 in his last four innings, prior to which he reeled off knocks of 163, 104 and 81 in quick succession.
Warner has been getting off to starts, but he hasn't converted. A big one could be around the corner, even when you take into consideration the fact that he'll come up against a red-hot pace lineup. The 37-year-old has the caliber to counter-attack in any conditions and has barely any weaknesses in his game.
Warner has never been dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah in ODIs despite facing him eight times, which is a record. The opening batter is one player India will be wary of in the summit clash.
#1 Steve Smith
There is only one thing Steve Smith loves more than big games, and that's playing against India. The superstar batter hasn't set the 2023 World Cup alight so far, but his two favorite things will come together on Sunday, November 19.
Smith seemed to find his hands in Australia's final group-stage game against Bangladesh as he stroked a fluent fifty and gave Marsh company. He had to don a different hat in the semifinal and came up with his team's second-highest score, although he won't want to look back on the shot he played to be dismissed.
Smith is the cliched "big-match player", and to put it simply, he's just too good to fail for too long. With less than 300 runs to his name in the tournament, he's bound to erupt at some point, and it could happen in the final.