In the 34th over, Australia’s score is 185-3 with Head at 100 and Labuschagne at 41. Head hits two boundaries over the leg side off Kuldeep and then adds two more by hitting down the ground. This brings him to 99 and he takes a risky single to reach his century, narrowly avoiding being run out with a direct hit.

Head resides on the boundary, therefore it is fitting that he achieved his century with a questionable single. However, this performance has been remarkable for his ability to handle risk. He has undoubtedly never displayed such formidable strength and composure.

With an extremely respectful nod to Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Aravinda de Silva, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Mahela Jayawardene, this is the greatest hundred in a men’s World Cup final: 95 balls, 14 fours and one six. If he sees it through, it’ll have a case for being the greatest ODI innings ever played.

The 33rd over saw Australia’s score at 174-3 with Head at 89 and Labuschagne at 41. Head managed to hit a single to cow corner, but there were only two singles in the over. He has scored 89 runs from 90 balls, while Labuschagne has 41 runs from 81 balls. It is evident that Head’s role is to maintain the team’s steady progress.

Jon Salisbury mentions that there may have been comments made about it, but there is a noticeable contrast in the level of urgency between the two sides in their efforts to preserve boundaries.

Australia’s fielding is particularly impressive because the majority of the players are in their thirties. The first 10 overs against South Africa were some of the most thrilling examples of team fielding I have witnessed.

In the 32nd over of the match, Australia’s score is 173-3 with Head at 88 runs and Labuschagne at 40 runs. Kuldeep takes over for Bumrah but is not making much of an impact. Rohit has been a standout player throughout the tournament, using both his strategic thinking and batting skills. However, in this match, he may have been playing too cautiously.

If you were to request me to list three exceptional World Cup hitters who performed under pressure, I would not mention Richards, Kohli, and Ponting. Instead, I would choose Head, Boon, and Brearley.

The 31st over sees Australia at 170-3 with Head scoring 87 and Labuschagne at 39. Jadeja stays in as the bowler. If things continue at this pace, Siraj will have to bowl his remaining seven overs consecutively.

Labuschagne faced four consecutive dot balls, but it did not affect Australia as Head is currently the standout player. However, Head’s success would not have been possible without Labuschagne’s calming presence. The pressure and noise when Labuschagne stepped onto the field were unlike anything he had ever encountered before.

Australia needs to score 71 runs in 114 balls in order to win. India still has a chance to win, but I wouldn’t want to be a new batter in this intense atmosphere. However, time is quickly running out.

In the 30th over, Australia is at 167-3 with Head at 86 and Labuschagne at 37. Bumrah delivers two impressive yorkers, one to each batter, but both are able to dig them out. This completes his seventh over and I believe he should continue for at least two more overs in order to secure a wicket. With the intense atmosphere, there is always a chance of a dramatic collapse, but only if this partnership is broken soon. It would be pointless to save Bumrah’s overs for when Australia is already at 210 for three.

According to Taimur Khan Jhagra, the top team that has never won the World Cup is the West Indies in 1983. The team that was expected to win the final was surprisingly defeated by India.

Yes, that’s a valid argument. They won against all teams except India by significant margins.

In the 29th over, Australia’s score is now 163-3 with Head scoring 85 runs and Labuschagne scoring 35 runs. Jadeja’s over only yielded three runs. The decision made by Pat Cummins to bat first is proving to be a clever move.