India and Australia will battle it out in the ICC World Cup 2023 final on Sunday. Australian captain Pat Cummins views Mohammed Shami as a formidable opponent leading up to the final. Shami, a replacement for the injured Hardik Pandya, has been a menacing bowler, taking 23 wickets in just six matches with an impressive average of 9.13 and an economy rate of 5.02. Cummins acknowledged India’s strong bowling unit and the importance of Australia’s dominance in the final.
“I mean they’re all pretty well-rounded in all departments you know the one guy that didn’t play at the start of the tournament who’s done really well is obviously Mohammed Shami he’s a class bowler to right and left armers, so yeah, he’s going to be a big one but again that these are guys we’ve played a lot – so all our batters can draw in moments where they’ve taken on these bowlers and done well.”
“Yeah, I think again, they’re pretty well-rounded. They’ve got five guys that bowl ten overs pretty much every match. I think their spinners have done well through the middle overs, Kuldeep and Jadeja, so they’re going to be a tough proposition like they always are. But you know, they’ve won every game, so they’ve been very impressive.”
Despite initial defeats, Australia has experienced a resurgence in the World Cup, winning eight consecutive matches and defeating a strong South Africa side in the semi-final. Cummins urges the team to remain unfazed by distractions and to dedicate themselves to the ultimate showdown against India. A victory for Australia would mark their sixth World Cup triumph. Their most recent win was in 2015 against New Zealand in the final.