India vs Australia predictions: Cricket World Cup final tips
Australia reached a record-extending eighth final after overcoming South Africa in a tense clash.
The Aussies’ quick bowlers finally arrived at the World Cup to dismantle the Proteas’ top order, but David Miller battled to score a century to set up a nerve-jangling chase
A quick-fire 62 from Travis Head put Australia ahead of the rate, and although the Proteas mustered a desperate comeback, Pat Cummins saw his team over the line by three wickets.
Australia's triumph has set up a rematch of the 2003 final when they hammered India.
UK bookmakers have installed India as odds-on favourites to win the final, but the Aussies are the most successful team in World Cup history and will not go down without a fight.
Here are our India vs Australia predictions.
Sharma to kickstart India charge
Rohit Sharma has not scored the amount of runs he would have liked in the last three matches, failing to break past a score of 61. But, he has offered India impetus at the top of the order, scoring his runs at a rapid rate.
Sharma’s knocks have given the rest of the order time to settle into their innings without the pressure of having to score quickly.
It has certainly benefitted Virat Kohli, who has been afforded the time to build match-winning scores after the early onslaught from his skipper.
Australia’s seamers have been largely under-par at the World Cup, but proved that on their day they’re a force to be reckoned with, downing an exceptional South Africa top order.
Sharma and Shubman Gill cannot allow that to happen to India, although they cannot bat within themselves either. We’re expecting Sharma to go out and take the game to Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
After looking at the odds on cricket betting sites, with our first India vs Australia prediction, we’re backing Sharma to score 50 runs or more at 5/4 with BoyleSports.
Time for Kohli to shine
Kohli has been nothing short of sensational at the World Cup, and his performances have paved the way for India to reach the first final since 2011.
Not only did the 34-year-old break the great Tendulkar’s century record, he also surpassed the legendary batter for the most runs scored in a Cricket World Cup in the process of notching his sublime century against New Zealand.
Kohli has now scored three centuries and five fifties in 10 innings and has looked in pristine touch throughout the tournament. Now, he needs to go on and win the World Cup for India to etch his place as arguably the best 50-over batter of all time.
His legacy could hinge on his performance, and he has struggled with the pressure of the big occasion in the past.
Most notably when India failed to deliver in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy and semi-final defeats to Australia and New Zealand in the 2015 and 2019 World Cups respectively.
Given his form and the magnitude of the occasion, we’re backing Kohli to take the final by storm and be the top batter in the match at odds of 4/1 with bet365.
Starc holds key for Australia
Starc has been underwhelming by his high standards at the World Cup after topping the wicket charts at the last two tournaments.
However, when Australia needed the left-armer to be on point with the ball against the Proteas, Starc delivered to dry up runs and strike twice to remove Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram in the early stages of the innings.
He added a third late on, and it was a welcome sight for Cummins to see his key performer back to a semblance of his best.
In their triumph in 2015, Starc was on point in both the semi-final and final against India and New Zealand.
He didn’t tear through the ranks, but was consistent and claimed two wickets in each game. If he can get important wickets to limit India’s total, it could allow his side to make the final a nervy time for the hosts.
We’re backing Starc to take two wickets or more at odds of 3/4 with Unibet.
Who will win the 2023 Cricket World Cup?
Australia have done what they’ve always done in the past and managed to forge a way through to a record-extending eighth final.
Cummins’ men won eight matches on the bounce after looking ragged in the early stages of the competition. It has not always been easy on the eye, outside of Glenn Maxwell’s sensational knock against Afghanistan, but they’ve found a way to win games.
India on the other hand have been dominant from day one, winning all 10 matches in the competition and can cap an outstanding run with a third world title.
The Aussies have enough experience to cause India problems, but the hosts have been a runaway train and may have enough to edge out Cummins’ team.
With our final India vs Australia prediction, we’re backing India at 4/9 with BetMGM to win the crown.
You can sign up for any of these new betting sites to claim offers for wagering on the Cricket World Cup final, which include free bets, boosted odds and more.
Simon Sinclair is an experienced sports journalist, who has written for national publications for football, cricket, NFL and many more. He contributes tips on a wide range of sports for The Independent.
