India lifted the ICC Cricket World Cup for the third time after one of the most extraordinary finals in the tournament’s history, edging out Australia by two runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in a last-ball finish that left 95,000 spectators in a state of utter disbelief.
Set 298 to win, Australia looked on course for a comfortable victory at 251-4 with 10 overs remaining, before Indian spinner Ravindra Jadeja produced a spell of three wickets in four balls that changed the game completely.
The final over arrived with Australia needing 9 runs to win, and after two boundaries from Mitchell Starc the equation came down to the last ball — Australia needing 2 to win, 1 to tie. Starc managed only a single, sending India into jubilation.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who scored 87 earlier in the day, called it “the greatest moment of my career and my life.” He dedicated the victory to the 1.4 billion fans back home.
India’s coaching staff praised the team’s composure under pressure, while Australia’s captain admitted “it just wasn’t our day in the end.” The defeat is set to fuel debate about Australia’s death bowling in the weeks to come.