India vs Australia Match Prediction: Who will win today's 2023 World Cup Final match?

Wherever you are in the world, reverberations from the spectacle that is the 2023 World Cup final are bound to reach you. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is the epicenter of the storm, a stadium that is expected to become a cauldron of noise well before the first ball is bowled at 2.00 pm IST on Sunday, November 19.

Not only is it the day of the World Cup final, a day that comes once every four years and someday maybe not even once in four years as ODIs fight against the nature of modern-day entertainment, but it is also an occasion that has never graced the sport of cricket before.

When has a home team, the best in the world, strapped up to face the decorated visitors, the second-best in the world, at the world's biggest cricket stadium by capacity? People attending the clash in person will touch a six-digit figure, while it wouldn't be a surprise if people watching from home stretched into the high nines.

Anyway, all of that aside, India vs Australia is a clash worth watching even without the added context. While the Men in Blue are on a 10-match unbeaten streak in the 2023 World Cup, the Kangaroos are the seasoned five-time champions with plenty of experience and pedigree under their belt.

When the two sides met in the group stage, India were reduced to 2/3 by Australia's new-ball bowlers before Virat Kohli and KL Rahul revived them to put their first points on the board. Both teams have made rapid strides since then, ticking off box after box as they attempt to secure cricket's ultimate prize.

Can India continue the recent trend of home World Cup winners? Or will Australia add another feather to their already distinguished cap?

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World Cup 2023 Final: Wary of Australia's pedigree, India start as marginal favorites

Pat Cummins has led his team to the summit clash

The key to the India vs Australia contest could lie on Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc's new-ball spell against Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. While the former is relentlessly accurate, few possess wicket-taking ability that can rival the latter's.

India have played an aggressive brand of cricket throughout the 2023 World Cup, and the only reason they have been able to do so is because Rohit has consistently given them blazing starts. If the Indian skipper fails, the middle order will find themselves in a much more challenging situation.

Meanwhile, the venue in Ahmedabad will pose its own set of challenges. The boundaries are long, and dew has been a significant factor in the second innings. That makes the toss a double-edged sword, something India will be wary of ahead of the all-important encounter.

The path to victory for the Men in Blue is simple - get off to a good start in the batting powerplay, utilize the new ball to make early inroads into the Australian top order, and not let Adam Zampa settle. It's just a question of whether they can execute on the big stage or not.

For Australia, however, things get more complex. Even if they manage to counter Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav will wait for their undercooked middle order. And Bumrah isn't the kind of bowler to have two off days in a row.

On the whole, India are clearly the better side, and it's hard to pick against them. Anything can happen in a game like the World Cup Final - the better team on paper can always lose. At the same time, though, the better team can also win.

Prediction: India to win the 2023 World Cup Final.