Australia have recorded an upset six-wicket win over India to hoist the World Cup trophy for the sixth time, with Travis Head starring with a century.
Marnus Labuschagne was also terrific, as he and Head steered the Aussies out of a 3-47 hole to an unlikely victory.
Pat Cummins was tactically brilliant as captain and superb with the ball as well.
Read on for Australia’s World Cup final player ratings!
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DAVID WARNER – 4
He had a lively start, scoring his seven runs from the first two balls he faced but his final World Cup innings ended cheaply when he edged a Mohammed Shami delivery to Virat Kohli. It wasn’t Warner’s greatest shot.
While not as prolific in the field as he was against South Africa, he made a couple of crucial stops in the final.
TRAVIS HEAD – 10
What a knock!
The Aussies were in dire straits at 3/47 and Head was looking a bit shaky against India’s opening bowlers.
However, once his eye was in, there was no stopping him en route to 137. He was cruelly denied from carrying his bat, dismissed when his team were just two runs away from victory.
Head recorded the first century in a World Cup final since Mahela Jayawardene in 2011 and first from an Aussie since Adam Gilchrist in 2007, and it was made all the more impressive because of the pressure the 29-year-old was under.
It was a clever innings, taking the singles on offer and dispatching the bad balls to keep the run rate ticking over.
Earlier, he was very busy on the boundary in the field, making a number of impressive stops early in the innings, but those efforts were dwarfed by a sensational catch over his shoulder to dismiss Rohit Sharma.
“The turning point for me was Travis Head’s catch. Rohit Sharma was seeing them beautifully and threatening to take the game away from Australia,” former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin noted on Fox Cricket.
Following on from his player-of-the-match performance in the semi-final, Head reached new heights in the decider.
The definition of a perfect game.
MITCH MARSH – 3.5
He’s at his best when going after the bowlers, but he wouldn’t have been too impressed with the way his innings ended, chasing a wide one from Bumrah which was edged to the keeper.
Scored a run-a-ball 15, but for the second straight innings, he failed to fire.
STEVE SMITH – 2.5
Didn’t have the World Cup campaign he would have liked.
Dismissed for four however if not for the faux pas of failing to review the umpire’s decision of LBW, would have remained at the crease for at least a little longer.
“Regret!” – Smith walks without review! | 00:46
MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE – 9.5
One of the best fifties you’ll see.
Walking onto the field with his team in trouble at 3-47, Labuschagne played the perfect complimentary innings to Head’s superb century with the pair putting on a whopping 192 for the fourth wicket.
It was a measured, patient knock that was desperately needed.
Not named in the initial World Cup squad, Labuschagne’s path to featuring prominently this tournament was Steven Bradbury-esque.
“He’s taken his time but it’s been an important innings from Marnus Labuschagne,” former Indian coach Ravi Shastri said.
Australian legend Ricky Ponting added: “That was outstanding.”
In the field, Labuschagne added his fourth run out of the World Cup to dismiss Kuldeep Yadev on the last ball of the innings. That figure is double the next best for the tournament.
GLENN MAXWELL – 6.5
With Head dismissed late in the innings, ‘The Big Show‘ came out and hit the tournament-winning runs with the only ball he faced.
Maxwell more than contributed with the ball, taking the scalp of the dangerous Rohit Sharma.
His figures were 1-35 off six overs.
JOSH INGLIS – 7.5
Enjoyed a red-letter day with the gloves, recording five catches.
Inglis is the first wicketkeeper to take five catches in a Men’s World Cup finals match.
MITCH STARC – 8
While Rohit Sharma went after Josh Hazlewood down the other end, Starc kept in tight early and snared the first wicket of Shubman Gill.
However Kohli then entered the crease and he was keen to attack Starc.
The left-armed picked up the big wicket of Rahul for 66 in the 42nd over, which started somewhat of a mini collapse for India, who scored only 37 runs in the final eight and a half overs.
He was the leading wicket-taker for the Aussies, ending up with figures of 3-55 from his ten.
HEAD TON – avoids runout on 99! | 00:42
PAT CUMMINS – 9.5
Terrific first spell for the skipper (1-14 off five overs), helping to stem the flow after India’s hot start while nabbing the wicket of Shreyas Iyer.
He injected himself back into the attack in the 29th over with India right in control, and it turned out to be a masterstroke, with the skipper snaring the huge wicket of Virat Kohli just three balls into his second stint.
His captaincy was praised, with Cummins willing to cycle through his bowlers quickly which kept didn’t allow India to get comfortable at the crease during the middle overs.
“The way he’s used his bowlers, you see him change up the bowlers in the previous ten overs or so to try and find a wicket,” former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson said in commentary.
“He hasn’t done too much wrong has Pat Cummins.”
What was probably most important though, was his decision to bowl first after winning the toss.
It was met with confusion by many at the time, but it proved to be the right call, with the pitch playing batter-friendly for Australia’s innings.
ADAM ZAMPA – 7
No mean feat to only concede one boundary from your bowling against a potent Indian batting line-up who entered this game in red-hot form, but that’s what Zampa did.
A terrific finale to what has been an outstanding tournament. Zampa’s tenth-over wicket drew him level with Muttiah Muralitharan for most wickets in a World Cup by a spinner (23).
JOSH HAZLEWOOD – 6.5
Lauded for his excellent display against South Africa, only conceding 12 runs from eight overs in that game, however Rohit Sharma ensured there’d be no repeat of that, with the opener treating Hazlewood with content early.
Hazlewood went for 0-25 in his initial three over spell but bounced back and bowled well in his remaining overs, utilising reverse swing to great effectiveness.
He finished with the respectable figures of 2-60 from ten overs
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