'India Would Win 95 Out Of 100...'- Stuart Broad

India has never had a more dominating run in World Cups than they have in this edition. The Men In Blue were the underdogs in 1983 and won their maiden title against all odds. While they were the team to watch out for in 2011, their performance was not flawless like this Rohit Sharma-led Indian side’s.

Their performance reminds me of the West Indies teams of 1975 and 1979 or the Australian Dominators of 2003 and 2007. The other teams would have a tough time trying to compete, let alone achieve a win against them.

India, in this World Cup, has dominated every side they have faced. The only match that had some breath left till the 40th over of the second innings was the semi-final against New Zealand. The other nine league matches were almost dead after the first powerplay of the second innings.

India has done everything in this World Cup, be it scoring runs in powerplay or the middle order anchoring the innings after the demolition job by Rohit Sharma as the opener. They have taken wickets in powerplay, middle overs, and also in the death. If any team deserves to win a World Cup, it has to be the Rohit Sharma-led Indian side.

India Is Already Playing Plan ‘B’ After Hardik Pandya’s Injury

It’s not like that the Indian team haven’t had any issues in their journey. As coach Rahul Dravid said, Hardik Pandya’s injury midway, forced them to initiate Plan ‘B’. However, their Plan ‘B’ is better than most of the team’s primary strategy.

Now they just have to cross a final hurdle in the face of five-time World Champions, Australia. If India is on a ten-match unbeaten streak, Australia has their own streak of eight matches. The Aussies only lost their first two matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, against India and South Africa respectively.

Legendary England pacer Stuart Broad said India has a probability of winning the World Cup final 95 out of 100 times against Australia. They are that good.

“India are so powerful in their own conditions that I would say they would win this final 95 times out of 100,” Broad wrote in his column for Daily Mail. “You only need to look down their line-up to gauge their strength: they’ve got a top six all of whom can score match-winning hundreds, while any of their bowlers can take a five-for. They’re the only team in the World Cup that you can say that about,” he said.

Stuart Broad Feels India Winning The World Cup Is Inevitable

Stuart Broad is the only pace bowler in world cricket other than teammate James Anderson to take more than 600 Test wickets. He said that there is a sense of inevitability in India winning this World Cup. It’s like Usain Bolt being the fastest in the 100m race or Brazil winning football tournaments, said Broad.

“India winning the World Cup is a bit like Brazil winning football’s equivalent. There is a bit of magic to it. Personally, I think it would be great for the game if India came out on top against Australia in Ahmedabad because it will inspire the next generation of cricket’s powerhouse, just as their 2011 triumph did.”

“An Indian victory is the most marketable outcome for the sport — comparable to when Usain Bolt used to line up for the 100 metres. All of athletics’ stakeholders wanted him to win because it leads to bigger sponsorship, bigger TV rights, greater exposure for the sport,” he added.

Stuart Broad Wants Virat Kohli To Win A Second World Cup Title

Stuart Broad also touched on Virat Kohli’s 50th ODI century. He said that a player like Virat Kohli deserves a second World Cup title acknowledging his 50 ODI hundreds, a feat he achieved in the semi-final against New Zealand.

“Given the career Virat Kohli has had, making 50 ODI hundreds, he deserves to be a double World Cup winner in his own country, too,” he added.

Only Australia Can Pull Off An Upset Against India

The former English pacer named Pat Cummins led Australia as the only team that could pull off an upset against India in this World Cup. According to Broad, Australia’s best chance of beating India is to bowl first, get Rohit and Kohli out early, and restrict India to a low total at Ahmedabad.

“Australia are probably the only opponents — I would have said Pakistan pre-tournament — that could potentially upset India because they possess the bowling attack to blow the outstanding top order of the home side away.”

“Australia’s route to producing a shock in my view is to win the toss, bowl, hope the ball nips around, and for Mitchell Starc to get it right, hit Rohit Sharma on the shin, and Josh Hazelwood following up by nicking off Kohli. If they could cook up a situation of early wickets like that, placing India under pressure and limiting them to something like 220, you would expect Australia to knock the runs off,” he concluded.

India will square off against the mighty Aussies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The Men In Blue will hope to win a third World Cup title while Australia will be looking to extend their record by clinching a sixth World Cup title.

Can India pull off an unbeaten World Cup victory in front of a jam-packed Ahmedabad which will look like a blue sea? or will it be Australia who will silence 135,000 people by doing something they do best: performing on the big stage?