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Former England skipper Michael Vaughan believes Australia's 2023 World Cup win will go down as one of the greatest in history, given India is the hardest place to accomplish it. Vaughan hailed the Aussies, stating that they deserve a massive amount of respect for showing they can compete in all types of conditions.
Australia sealed a record sixth title after defeating the Men in Blue by six wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The Men in Yellow delivered a complete performance amid a record crowd at the venue, with Travis Head, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc playing central roles.
In his column for The Telegraph, Vaughan reflected that Australia won the trophy at the hardest place.
"This group of Australian players had the misfortune of following one of the greatest teams in history, that of the nineties and noughties. It is difficult to always be compared to legends of the past. By winning a World Cup in India, the hardest place to do it, they have now achieved something the greats of old never did," Vaughan wrote.
The 48-year-old suggested that Australia's experience in playing finals helped them massively in Ahmedabad.
"It’s been a very consistent group of Australia players. Seven of the squad won the World Cup in 2015, and 10 of them won T20 World Cup in 2021. Eight of the XI are part of the side that won the World Test Championship this year, and have shown they can compete in all conditions, which not all teams can, in India and England this year. They deserve a huge amount of respect," Vaughan added.
Captain Cummins not only flourished as captain on Sunday but also as a bowler after remaining inconsistent throughout the tournament. The 30-year-old finished with impressive figures of 10-0-34-2 in the final, nipping out Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer.
"He has the steel to drive the team" - Michael Vaughan on Pat Cummins
Vaughan reckons that Cummins also manages people brilliantly, evidenced by his rotation of bowlers in the final.
"Cummins is calm, precise, a great people person who understands cricketers and how to manage them. But inside he has the steel to drive the team. Tactically, he had a dream final. Choosing to bowl, then swapping his bowlers regularly, squeezing with the field, and bowling brilliantly himself. Australia’s bowlers were all excellent, and they fielded brilliantly," he stated.
The 2005 Ashes-winning skipper also suggested that Travis Head's role across facets was indispensable in the final.
"Travis Head led that with the catch of Rohit Sharma, a huge moment in the game, then played a superb innings with the bat. To be player of the match in the World Cup semi-final and final is very special. In no time at all he has become one of the most dangerous batters in the world, proving that you can improve over time," he added.
Cummins joined the likes of Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, and Michael Clarke as Australia's ODI World Cup-winning captains.
