Former Indian star batter Gautam Gambhir feels that Australia were not up to the mark in the World Cup semifinal as they failed to deliver their best performance against South Africa before booking their berth for the grand final. Despite securing a thrilling three-wicket victory against South Africa, Gambhir finds the five-time champions vulnerable.
Pat Cummins-led Australia registered a narrow win at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, November 16, as they somehow managed to chase down the target of 213 runs to book their spot in the final.
However, speaking to Star Sports after Australia's semi-final win, Gambhir cautioned the Indian team, stating that they will need to bring their A-game to lift the title in front of the home crowd, as Australia have a wealth of experience and expertise in winning knockout games.
"Don’t think Australia brought their A-game in the semi-final. Australia are still very vulnerable, but yes, they know how to win these knockout games. India will have to play their A-game in the final, which they have been playing since the last 10 matches. India are going to be very confident facing Australia in Ahmedabad,” Gambhir said, as quoted by Cricketaddictor.
Australia claimed eight consecutive victories after their initial two defeats in the ODI World Cup 2023. The upcoming World Cup final will mark their record-breaking eighth appearance, with a history of dominance evident in their five championship titles from seven previous attempts. Notably, they achieved a remarkable hat-trick of victories in 1999, 2003, and 2007.
Meanwhile, ahead of the all-importan World Cup final Gambhir was all praise for Shreyas Iyer and deemed him the biggest game-changer for the Men in Blue in the summit clash.
“Shreyas Iyer is the biggest game changer for me in this World Cup. He was injured and had to fight for his place, and to score a century in 70 balls in the knockout is simply outstanding. He’ll be the key for India in the final when Maxwell and Zampa bowl,” Gambhir further said.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK
