Australia opener Travis Head became the seventh batter to notch a century in an ODI World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
He reached his hundred off 95 balls with a single off the bowling of Kuldeep Yadav in the 34th over.
The left-hander is the first batter to achieve the three-digit mark in a World Cup summit clash since Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene did so in 2011 against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Head is also the third Australian to secure a World Cup final century, following Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist, and only the second, after Aravinda de Silva of Sri Lanka, to do so in a run-chase.
Full list of centuries in World Cup final:
Clive Lloyd (WI) - 102 (85) vs Australia in 1975 (Lord’s)
Viv Richards (WI) - 138* (157) vs England in 1979 (Lord’s)
Aravinda de Silva (SL) - 107* (124) vs Australia in 1996 (Lahore)
Ricky Ponting (AUS) - 140* (121) vs India in 2003 (Johannesburg)
Adam Gilchrist (AUS) - 149 (104) vs Sri Lanka in 2007 (Bridgetown)
Mahela Jayawardene (SL) - 103 (88) vs India in 2011 (Wankhede)
Travis Head (AUS) - 100* (95) vs India in 2023 (Ahmedabad)
Australia are cruising in the chase of 241 with Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne dominating. It will be Australia's sixth title if they manage to beat India.
Earlier, India managed to compile 240 runs all-out in precisely 50 overs against Australia, thanks to battling half-centuries by KL Rahul and Virat Kohli. Pat Cummins' decision to field, primarily to avoid handling a dewy ball at night, puzzled many. However, the Australian bowlers, supported by outstanding fielding, curbed their opposition's momentum.
Despite the early dismissal of Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma continued to set the tone for India's batting, as he had throughout the tournament. The Indian captain delivered an entertaining 47, smacking three sixes before falling just before the end of the powerplay.
Kohli and Rahul (66) then partnered in a solid rebuilding effort, even if it meant going 16.1 overs without hitting a boundary. The tournament's leading scorer attained his ninth 50-plus score in 11 innings but was soon dismissed after chopping a Cummins delivery onto his stumps
- Travis Head