Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India]: Royal Challengers Bangalore teammates Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell embraced each other and India’s stalwart batter gifted his jersey to the explosive all-rounder after Australia’s victory in the World Cup final.
Emotions were running high after Australia emerged victorious in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the Baggy Greens were ecstatic after the victory sharing laughs and embracing each other. On the other hand, the Indian players were left with broken hearts, shattered dreams and a bit teary-eyed.
As players from both teams shook hands, Kohli and Maxwell shared a special moment as the Indian batter gifted his jersey to his teammate in the Indian Premier League.
Kohli played a crucial hand with his knock of 54 as India posted a total of 240. He was a bit unlucky to get dismissed by skipper Pat Cummins. He tried to defend the ball but the angle of the bat turned out to be fatal for him. An inside edge changed the course of the ball straight to the stumps.
On a tough batting surface, skipper Rohit Sharma (47 in 31 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes), Virat Kohli (54 in 63 balls, with four boundaries) and KL Rahul (66 in 107 balls, with one four) posted important knocks.
Mitchell Starc (3/55) was the pick of the bowlers for Australia. Skipper Pat Cummins (2/34) and Josh Hazlewood (2/60) also bowled well. Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell got a wicket each.
While chasing 241, India had the Aussies down at 47/3. Knocks from Travis Head (137 in 120 balls, with 15 fours and four sixes) and Marnus Labuschagne (58 in 110 balls, with four boundaries) left the Indian team without answers and guided them to a six-wicket win.
The World Cup finalists will now compete in a five-match T20I series which will begin on Thursday in Visakhapatnam.