The anticipation is palpable for the India vs Australia World Cup final in Ahmedabad, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese receiving an invitation to witness the November 19 clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
While Albanese received the invitation, sources said that PM Albanese appointed Australian Deputy PM Richard Marles to represent him at the match. Marles is visiting India to participate in the India-Australia 2+2 Dialogue.
Australian PM Anthony Albanese has been invited for the 2023 World Cup Final. pic.twitter.com/awpX10fXjA— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 17, 2023
Earlier in March, Albanese was seen at the same Ahmedabad ground along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the fourth Test between India and Australia. However, this time stakes are much higher.
This final showdown marks a significant event, with India and Australia locking horns in an ODI World Cup final after a hiatus of two decades. The last encounter between these cricket giants occurred in 2003, with Sourav Ganguly leading the Indian team and Ricky Ponting at the helm for Australia.
The path to the final witnessed remarkable performances. Under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, India secured their spot by defeating New Zealand by a convincing 70-run margin in the first semifinal. Meanwhile, Pat Cummins led Team Australia with swagger, triumphing over Temba Bavuma’s Team South Africa by three wickets in a thrilling second semifinal held at Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens.
Before the grand final clash, both sides clashed earlier in the tournament at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. India won that match, defeating Australia by six wickets, with KL Rahul named the Player of the Match. India and Australia have faced each other 13 times in World Cup matches. Australia claimed victory in eight matches, while India triumphed in five, demonstrating prowess both when setting and chasing scores.
(With inputs from Shalinder Wangu)
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