Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India]: After playing a match-winning knock of 137 runs, it was never in doubt that Australia opener Travis Head would be named Player of the Match after a standout display that earned Australia’s men their sixth Cricket World Cup title.
After taking Australia to its sixth World Cup title victory, centurion Head expressed his astonishment, stating that he “never expected this in a million years.”
Australia opener dominated the Indian bowlers on his way to a match-winning knock of 137 in 120 balls.
And it wasn’t just with the bat that Head excelled, with his wonderful catch to remove Rohit Sharma turning the tide in the first innings.
The opener’s unexpected and outstanding display of ability and drive exemplified the unpredictable and thrilling character of cricket, leaving both fans and players in awe of the moments that unfolded in the high-stakes World Cup final. The pressure was on Head when Australia slipped to 47/3 in search of a target of 241 to beat India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. But Head produced one of the best knocks of his career, scoring 137 from 120 balls to guide his team to the brink of victory.
“Never expected this, not in a million years, truly an exceptional day. Lot better than sitting on the couch at home. Really glad to contribute, the first twenty balls I played gave me a lot of confidence and yea I was able to carry through. The way Mitch Marsh came out and took the game on, he set the tone. That was the energy we wanted and we knew the wicket may get tough. It was a great decision to bowl first after winning the toss. I felt the wicket got better as the day went on. It took a little bit of spin, it paid dividends. Nice to be a part of it, nice to play a role in all of that,” Head said during the pre-match presentation.
Head described India captain Rohit Sharma, who led his team from front throughout the 2023 WC tournament with some brilliant cricket, as “probably the most unlucky man in the world.”
“He’s (Rohit Sharma) probably the unluckiest man in the world. Again, it’s (fielding) something that I worked hard on. I couldn’t imagine getting a hundred, couldn’t probably imagine holding onto that one. Was great to hold on to that catch. Important to look after your teammates, to be able to do that on the big stage in front of a full house is a nice thing.”
“Definitely, third on that list, it’s a nice one to join, nice to be here and nice to contribute. I’ll just tell the boys that I’m looking forward to the reunion,” Head commented on joining Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist on the list of centurions in the World Cup finals.
